A high school student, Josh was bullied. Wounded and grieving after the loss of his father, Josh showed vulnerability that made him a target of high school bullies. He felt boxed in, as if he didn’t belong. Not just in the school, but in the world. Yet Josh had the fortitude to persevere, and to look for a way out. As he says: “I wanted to reach out to people and show them who I was.”
Josh found a way. He decided to do a simple thing that resonated far beyond the act itself. His solution, as he says, was “more than a physical act… it gives people hope.” Instead of hiding, Josh’s courageous solution was to thrust himself in front of his fellow students. As one student says: “It was his way of telling people: I’m here.” The kids eventually elected this former outcast prom king. When they did, they felt as if they had all won that title. “One simple act can change your whole life,” Josh says. It’s probably important to remember that Josh performed that one simple act over and over again.
