Several students at Southampton Middle School completed a marathon of character building accomplishments that gained the recognition of a famous Harford County student.
“You can achieve your dreams if you are willing to put forth the effort,” said Fallston High School junior Kimmie Meissner to 35 seventh-graders at Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood. Meissner took first at this year?s World Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth in the Olympic Winter Games.
Thirty-five of 112 students on team 7-D were awarded medals for their completion of the Marathon of Achievement, which requires students to complete 26 of 30 tasks in six months, symbolizing the 26 miles in a marathon.
Southampton is the only school in Harford County to do this type of program, which was devised by four teachers and is designed so any student can work hard and accomplish it, said the event?s spokeswoman, Gina A. Kazimir.
“The people who have the discipline and hard work often don?t get recognized, and that?s who these students are,” she said.
Each teacher came up with a list of activities that ranged from not watching television for a week to cooking and cleaning dinner for five days to writing a book report.
Jim Meehan, president of HAR-CO Maryland Federal Credit Union, the school?s business partner and program?s sponsor, said the program helps inspire students.
“Business and teachers agree you can?t motivate people, you can only create an environment in which they can motivate themselves,” he said. “The No. 1 skater in the world cares enough to come out and see them. If their confidence wavers in the future, they can look back and see that they?re champions too.”
Meissner ended her short speech by motivating the students and likening their accomplishments to her own international figure skating ones.
“You have set a high standard for yourself, now go forth and achieve your Olympic moment,” she said. “The world is waiting.”
