Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Lowndes County Children’s Policy Council has selected I’Kiareious Lewis, a student at The Calhoun School, for its February Character in Action award.

Calhoun Principal Nicholas Townsend nominated Lewis for the award, describing how she came to the school reluctantly from Carver High in Montgomery but is learning to be resilient while overcoming life’s challenges.

“I recall on her first day, she walked out of the counselors’ office and down the front of the school stating both adamantly and disrespectfully that she was not going to stay here,” Townsend said. “Ms. Lewis is working her way through a number of personal issues but has learned to be resilient with a smile on her face.”

Lewis is a Calhoun cheerleader and boasts a spot on the A-B honor roll.

“She is loved by her peers and keeps a positive attitude no matter what the situation is,” Townsend said.

Townsend, who nick-names each student based on their character, knows Lewis as “Sunshine.”

“She has a smile that can light up a room and a personality to match,” Townsend said. “The fact that she is light-skinned assists with that nickname as well. Needless to say, Ms. Lewis has grown from a reluctant member of the Calhoun family to a prosperous, roaring Lady Tiger.”

Students awarded for their character in action receive a certificate, t-shirt and a Walmart gift card. The program, developed to recognize students for “doing good things” in the classroom and the community, aims at encouraging positive behavior.

According to Lowndes County District Judge Adrian Johnson, who presides over the county’s juvenile court, the effort is designed to foster good character and help youths avoid the kind of behaviors that, if left unchecked, can result in the need for corrective measures.