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The Lowndes County Juvenile Court selected Zaniya Fleeton, a seventh grader at Lowndes Middle School (LMS), to receive the April Character in Action (CIA) award.

LMS Principal Jason Seaborn nominated Fleeton because of her honesty, with her honesty and integrity.

“We recommend Zaniya Fleeton as a nominee for Character in Action because she is always honest with peers and adults alike,” Seaborn wrote in Fleeton’s nomination. “She stays on task while the teacher is helping other students and has a strong sense of integrity.”

According to Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Keisha Lee, the court often works with youth who have been in trouble. The CIA program was developed to recognize kids doing “the right thing” who may not otherwise be recognized and is aimed at encouraging other children to follow award recipients’ example.

“We started doing (CIA) to recognize kids going in the right direction,” Lee said. “We never know who may get nominated but to know that this program is out there may encourage students to do better so that they can get nominated.”

At LMS, Seaborn said Fleeton is a good example of a student leader, who serves as a role model for her classmates and other students as well.

“She has a desire to learn and grow, and always comes into the classroom ready to absorb more knowledge,” Seaborn wrote. “She is trustworthy, dependable, respectful, and enthusiastic when it comes to her leadership abilities.”

In addition to excellent classroom behavior, Seaborn said Fleeton participates in extracurricular activities.

“She is a great student athlete because she plays basketball at LMS and runs track with The Calhoun School track team,” he said. “She has been an exceptional student, which is reflected in her grades. Zaniya puts an incredible amount of work into her own self-growth and development, blossoming every year she has been at LMS.”

Lee explained that kids who are nominated but not chosen also receive recognition.

“The kids who are nominated but not chosen for the CIA still receive a certificate,” Lee said. We don’t have a ceremony for them, but they do still get the certificate.”