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By Mallory Moyer
First of all your mom Gina told me you are President of the Best Buddies Club which is sponsoring a ban the ‘R’ word in March I believe? How did you get involved with this club and the ban the ‘R’ word day?
My brother was president of Best Buddies his senior year at Proctor, which was also the year Best Buddies came to Donovan. I was an eighth grader there so I was excited to be one of the first members of the club. I saw what a positive influence the club had on my brother Matthew and I wanted the same. It was nice to be a part of a club where we no one judged you and where you felt you could be yourself. I decided to stick with it because it made me a better person internally, and our activities are the most fun I’ve ever had. “Spread the Word to End the Word,” most commonly known as “Ban the R Word” is an event where we try to make the community aware of how much the word retarded affects those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I see firsthand how much it hurts them, and I just wanted to make people aware that there are consequences to their word choice. The same way it hurts when someone makes a stereotypical, derogatory remark, referring to the color of your skin, gender, age, religion, or ethnicity, is the same way it hurts those with a disability.
You are also involved in so many other things – name your other involvements! How do you juggle it all?
This is a long list! I am president of Best Buddies. I work at Chanatry’s as a cashier, and officer personnel. I altar serve at Our Lady of Lourdes church. I also take three AP classes, along with an art class at MVCC. I am on the varsity golf team, play the clarinet, and ski. I used to play soccer, and dance but things were even more hectic than they are now, so I decided to stick with golf. When I get my work schedule I simply make a plan for the week ahead. For example, if I work Sunday night, Wednesday from 3-7, Friday night, and Saturday morning, and I consider that I have class from 6-9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I know that I have Sunday afternoon, all Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5, Wednesday night, and Saturday afternoon to do my homework. Unlike others, I don’t have much time to myself, but that’s alright because I know all the work and stress will pay off. I always plan ahead and I like to get things done and out of the way so it doesn’t add stress and become an inconvenience later. The biggest thing I do is make lists, then I go home and lay out everything I need to get done that night. Once I do it I cross it off.
What do you aspire to be? What do you plan for your future?
Ever since I was 12 I’ve wanted to be an architect. I’ve always been fascinated with design and art. Drawing, and painting, and things like that have never been a strength of mine, but I’m overcoming that with the help of classes at Munson Williams and MVCC. Being an architect is a huge dream of mine so I will do whatever it takes to overcome any obstacles that emerge in my life. I would love to go to either Roger Williams University or Wentworth Institute of Technology next year. Then from there I would love to go to a big city such as New York, Boston, or Philadelphia. I’ve always been intrigued with these cities, and I love all the action.
Who or what inspires you?
My parents inspire me. They work extremely hard, from morning to night, and wake up every morning and do it again. My mom was bullied when she was younger but to see her overcome that challenge is inspiring to me. She is an incredibly smart woman, and she wants nothing but the best for those around her. She basically tries to handle six lives all at once. My dad has two full time jobs in order to have the best for his family. He is always encouraging me to do what I love, and always lends a helping hand. They both have given me great insight about college and take an active role in my life.
What are you most proud of having accomplished?
Honestly, I am most proud of me remaining myself throughout all the years. When I was eight we found out that I only had one lung. That has never stopped me from doing anything, and I am proud of that. In gym when we had to run a mile I was always towards the end because of how tired I would easily get. I would just suck in some air and keep on running. I never once made an excuse to a gym teacher that “I couldn’t do it because I only had one lung.” I didn’t want to be segregated or treated differently so I chose to try harder and continue to push myself. Looking back on it today, and seeing how hectic my life was is astonishing. I would go from school, to piano lessons, to a golf meet, and then dance lessons. The fact that I was able to have a life like that for six years makes me who I am today.
What do you think about your generation, the culture you see at your high school – are people becoming more or less tolerant of each other? Has bullying been addressed enough? Has it worsened?
To be honest, I think it’s all getting worse. Going to Proctor has really prepared me for the real world, and I’m grateful for that. I think that people are less tolerant of each other. In a time where we need to be more sensitive of each other’s feelings we are less. I have not experienced bullying myself, but I have witnessed it. Most people have a group of friends that they become very close to. They often get attached to the characteristics of those close to them, so when exposed to something new, they are judgmental and less tolerant, because he or she doesn’t appear to be as “cool” as them. No one can define the word cool, or intelligent, or fashionable for example, because we are all smart, weird, and unique in our own way. I feel that we should embrace that. Teachers always say “It would be boring if we were all the same,” but then individuals rebuke others who are not like them. To me it doesn’t make any sense. Bullying has not been addressed enough. It is a reality for thousands of kids who are shunned by their peers for simply being different. There used to be a time when people can leave school or the work place and return home for a safe haven. Times have changed due to the advancements of technology, including texting and social media. When someone bullies someone else others don’t take it as seriously because they don’t feel the emotions of the person who was bullied. It may be looked upon as harmful, or a joke. Whenever an individual is hurt because of the words and actions of a peer I consider that bullying, and it can have serious consequences. At the same time, the individual should remain strong, and not let that person get to them, because for some reason they feel that they need to put others done to make themselves feel better. High school has been hard for me, but what really helped these past two years was having a good friend to turn to. My best friend, Elizabeth Reilly, has really helped me along this journey. She is always there to listen and offer advice. There have been many times where her words, and relatable experiences have gotten me through the day. That’s all you really need is to have a good friend to be there for you, and to keep your head up along the way.
Wise words from a wonderfully conscientious young woman. Thank you, Riya!
The post A Conversation on Bullying, the ‘R’ Word, and Juggling It All with Riya Burke: Q&A with an Outstanding Senior at Thomas R. Proctor High School appeared first on The Utica Phoenix.