Two weeks ago, seven third- through sixth-grade students from Bovina Elementary traveled to Gulfport to present at the first Mississippi Bullying Solutions Symposium.

Eli Perkins, regional Leader in Me representative asked Bovina students to present at the symposium, Bovina Principal Miki Ginn said.

“One of my students introduced the keynote speaker,” she said. “One of them sang ‘You can have it all with the seven habits’ to Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep.’”

Five other students spoke about individual habits and gave examples of scenarios the habits have helped them get through, Ginn said.

“Leadership trumps bullying,” she said. “We’re trying to teach these kids this at an early age.”

Ginn said it’s exciting to see her elementary school students get on stage and present in front of large crowds of adults without hesitation.

“They were excited to present,” she said. “They have just embraced the whole thing. They’re enthusiastic and willing to share.”

Ginn said students from Bovina have presented elsewhere, and they will be presenting at another symposium in Vicksburg in January.

“I think the kids are really starting to understand we’re doing something cool here,” she said. “People are asking us to come share more and more. I think that’s starting to click with them.”

Kathryn Wong said she talked about habit 5: seek first to understand.

“It teaches kids to listen to everything before questioning it,” she said. “It’s important to hear everything the other person is trying to say.”

Wong said she shared a personal anecdote about a time she jumped to conclusions with her friends about a game of basketball.

“After we finished presenting, they actually did a standing ovation,” she said. “When we were done we answered some questions from the audience. I had a lot of fun.”