Good news: Sixteen year old Whitney Kropp was ecstatic when she learned that she was nominated to be homecoming queen at her high school in West Branch, Michigan!
Bad news: She later learned that it was a prank that some classmates orchestrated because they thought it would be funny for someone “unpopular” to be nominated. According to Detroit's WXYZ-TV, Whitney was crushed and angered and said she felt “unworthy” and actually thought about suicide.
It is understandable that Whitney wanted to drop out and not attend the homecoming events. However, her mother, grandmother and sister convinced her to stay in the running.
Residents of the small town of West Branch demonstrated extraordinary compassion and support as they rallied around Whitney! A Facebook page was created supporting her, and local businesses donated a dress, accessories, and salon services. Residents of West Branch, Michigan will be cheering for Whitney at the homecoming events this weekend!
Whitney Kropp explained to Detroit NBC news, "I'm excited to go because I can prove everyone wrong and say, you know, I'm not this joke that you guys thought of." You guys doing this has made me stronger, and I've got more self-esteem than what I had.”
What an amazing and heart-warming ending! Do you know other happy endings to bullying situations? Please share!
About the blogger: Judy S. Freedman, a licensed clinical social worker and bullying prevention specialist, is the author of Easing the Teasing – Helping Your Child Cope with Name-Calling, Ridicule, and Verbal Bullying. She lectures and conducts workshops for parents, educators, and mental health professionals throughout the country. Learn more about Judy and her work at www.easingtheteasing.com.
I am touched that her community got together to support her. I looked at Whitney's picture and I think she is a pretty girl. What are teenagers thinking of?
I, too, was bullied, mocked and denigrated as "unpopular" in middle school, and it's something one never forgets. I applaud the anti-bullying, anti-cruelty actions taken in the interests of Whitney and other kids like her.
It will certainly be interesting to see if there are any consequences!
They're going to high school, Mom & Dad, not to a photoshoot for the cover of a magazine. These girls have such a low level of self-esteem that they feel the need to have all of the above to make them "fit in" or be accepted by their shallow peers. Then they sneer and look down on those who are merely being themselves without all the physical coverups of clothes, hair and makeup. In other words, they loathe those who look natural because I believe that deep down, they are envious of someone who has the courage and self-confidence to look the world in the eye and say: This is who I am and I will not conform to whom you think I should be. Thus, in their frustration and jealously, the shallow crowd pokes fun of the natural crowd in weak attempts to tear them down to make their own selves feel better. Thank God I grew up in the 70s where the everyday attire for school was a t-shirt & jeans and perhaps some mascara and touch of eyeshadow & the fanciest gym shoes were the blue Adidas' with three white stripes for $30.
A lot of teenagers are a-holes. Most of those a-holes grow up to be normal, considerate, mature adults. I just would hope that will all of the media coverage on bullying these days, teens wouldn't be as mean. I feel bad for this girl, even though I would think that she may be a little embarrassed from all of this coverage. It's been basically announced to America that she is a "dork" in the eyes of her fellow classmates.
Keep up the great work, Judy!
For all of the bad press, I really think you need to know what the senior class did. I think it's important for you to know. The young man that was voted Homecoming King has Downs Syndrome. He was not voted King as a joke, he was voted King because he is loved.