Sussex Academy Junior Completes Social Justice Internship

Sussex Academy junior Biloxi Buffington received a $500 stipend and recognition from Speak Out Against Hate Delaware Chapter for completing a year-long Youth Ambassador Leadership Internship. She was one of two student interns honored at the organization's annual awards ceremony.

The internship required monthly action group meetings, work with community mentors, and assistance with SOAH initiatives. Buffington designed a youth-focused project she completed May 29 at Sussex Academy Elementary, where she led second-grade students through lessons on kindness and inclusion.

She read "The Recess Queen" by Alexis O'Neill and facilitated a discussion about empathy. Students wrote on sticky notes something they liked about themselves and something they appreciated about a classmate, then added their notes to a poster pledging to lead with kindness. Each student received a paper crown.

"I realized that hate is simply the absence of love," Buffington said. "I wanted to plant seeds of kindness and empower students to be kind to one another."

Sussex County Mental Health Counselor Channel Chaplin praised Buffington's work. "Her dedication to service, leadership, and inclusion reflects the values we strive to instill in all Sussex Academy students," Chaplin said.

Speak Out Against Hate, a Delaware-based organization, combats hate and promotes inclusion through education, advocacy, and engagement.