Beauty Queen Beats Bullying with K.A.R.M.A. Outreach

Online, February 10, 2010 (Newswire.com) - BIRMINGHAM, Feb 10, 2010 - Jessica Brookshire, a 22-year-old graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor's in International Trade and Spanish and a minor in Political Science is the founder of K.A.R.M.A. (Kids Against Ridicule, Meanness and Aggression) a statewide initiative to end bullying. Having been bullied as a child herself, K.A.R.M.A. is Brookshire's campaign to end bullying in school-aged children. She is also currently working with national figure Tina Meier of the Megan Meier Foundation to help improve bullying laws in Alabama.
"As a victim of bullying, I spent most of my childhood seeking ways to avoid the ridicule I faced at school, " said Brookshire. "I made friends with the right crowd and wore the right clothes, but for some reason I was still a target of teasing. I begged my mom to let me skip school but the pain I felt did not go away. Today's children need to realize that once all is said and done, they will only have each other to depend upon. I want to reinforce the notion that when you tear a classmate down, you are breaking down your own future."
Currently only ten states do not have laws against bullying, while Alabama has a law against bullying, it needs dire modification and reinforcement. Brookshire is on a mission to change this statistic to get Alabama on board to make this law a priority and enforce it to provide a safe haven for victims of bullying as well as consequences that could deter potential bullies.
It was from the tragic loss of her daughter, Megan Meier that Tina Meier founded the non-profit Megan Meier Foundation in December of 2007. The foundation's mission statement is to "Bring Awareness, Education and Promote Positive Change to Children, Parents and Educators in Response to the Ongoing Bullying and Cyberbullying in Our Children's Daily Environment." Meier hopes is to make a difference through spreading Megan's story along with Internet safety and help one child at a time until bullying and cyberbullying are non-existent.
"I will continue to work tirelessly to make our legislators understand the impact that bullying can have on a child, and the necessity for such laws," said Brookshire. "These laws define bullying, encourage preventive measures from schools, and provide consequences for the bullies as well as the adults that ignore the bullying."
The idea of K.A.R.M.A. is that what goes around comes around. Brookshire believes that what you put out into the universe is what you will receive. By encouraging students to just be kind and to learn tolerance and acceptance for everyone, she believes that we can create a new generation of children who care for each other and learn from each other.
"I stood before a fifth grade classroom and told my story that they may not realize how much their actions and words can hurt someone, or for how long," Brookshire said. "Instantly, I saw tears developing in the eyes of several students who were likely the victims of bullying."
Brookshire is currently pursuing a Masters of Hispanic Studies from Auburn University with a concentration in Latin American Women's Studies and is the 2010 Miss Fountain City and will represent Prattville, Alabama at the 2010 Miss Alabama Scholarship Pageant in June.
For more information about the Megan Meier Foundation, visit http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org. For more information about K.A.R.M.A. or to contact Brookshire, visit http://jessicabrookshire.com