It’s easy to feel disappointed when your efforts don’t seem to be yielding positive results. But this is exactly the right time to harness the power of patience and belief that your efforts will pay off.
Every small step can lead to progress in the right direction!
We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort. – Jesse Owens
Let’s have a look at a few examples of positive stories that solidify this idea:
- Woman advocates for inclusive education
- Nurse sews wedding dress for a patient’s impromptu wedding ceremony
- Mental Health Room helps students feel at ease
- School bus driver turns his bus into a supportive refuge
Weekly Uplifting Stories – May 20th, 2024
Nonspeaking autistic woman is on a mission to help students gain access to effective communication technology
Jordyn Zimmerman is a non-speaking autistic woman who’s on a mission to provide better methods of reliable communication for students with disabilities.
Jordyn faced many struggles growing up due to a lack of access to effective communication technology. It kept her from expressing her true self and connecting with others in an authentic way.
Her life took a turn for the better at the age of 18 when she was finally able to communicate through an augmentative and alternative app, Proloquo2Go.
Now she’s helping others to gain confidence and transcend communication barriers. Her advocacy work for inclusive education is being recognized around the world.
“Every time I present and share my story I impact one person, I feel good and I’m proud about changing the narrative in that way. I know I can’t change the world alone but I can certainly create ripples to facilitate meaningful improvements and help show that we all have valuable contributions to make,” said Jordyn.
Hospital staff throws together an impromptu wedding ceremony for patient
Brianna’s plans of getting married at City Hall after giving birth fell through when she got sick a couple of weeks before her due date.
When the nurses at her hospital learned that she had to cancel her wedding, they decided to put together a wedding ceremony at the hospital itself.
The hospital staff chipped in. Flowers, music, and a chaplain to officiate – everything was arranged within a few hours.
Nurse Gaby Pinzon even managed to create a wedding gown from hospital bedsheets in thirty minutes!
The hospital staff along with Brianna’s immediate family gathered around to support the couple through this beautiful moment.
“It was incredible the way everybody just comes together and they just drop everything for you like you feel like you’re the only patient in the whole hospital,” said Brianna.
High school students get a space to work on their mental health during the school day
Due to the stigma associated with mental health, many students don’t reach out for help and as a result, suffer in silence.
To provide the students with a safe, inclusive space, Ames High School in Iowa has opened The Brain Health Retreat Room where students can take a break.
There is a counselor present at all times to help students work through their feelings.
The room is funded by Brain Health Now, an organization that highlights the importance of addressing concerns with mental health and providing affordable mental health resources to those in need.
“We intentionally have a table where they can sit down and be together, um, we do have a sitting area in a family room so if the counselor needs to come and have a conversation there is a comfortable space to do it,” said Nicole Patton, Associate Principal, Ames High school.
The school shared that there were 145 visits by 72 students in the first four months of this year.
The school has plans for a grand opening at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
School bus driver is on a mission to spread positivity to students
A little positivity goes a long way!
Anthony Burgess is a bus driver for Pinellas County Schools in Florida. He encourages the students on his route to come up with quotes, positive messages, and drawings, which are used to decorate the interior of his bus.
This activity has helped transform the bus rides into a pleasant, rejuvenating experience, putting the kid in the right mindset for school.
The students choose to highlight the most meaningful and uplifting quotes.
- “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”
- “Your mindset can change everything.”
- “The world is brighter because you’re a part of it.”
“I wanted to make it brighter and make it a fun space, so I was like, ‘Hey, let’s make some quotes,'” Burgess said. “I wanted the bus to be more of a positive place for the children and for myself.”
Have a Great Week Everyone!
Do you feel refreshed? Inspired? Hopeful? Good! Our goal is to set you up for a great week ahead (There’s a reason we send these out on Mondays, you know!)
As always, if you have an uplifting story of your own to share, please comment below the article, or message us on our Instagram account.
Take care, and see you next week!
Photo by Ivan Samkov
