We all know kids can be cruel, especially when it comes to what other kids are wearing. Whether it’s about their favorite sports team or what brand they’re wearing, it can be rough. One poor child found this out the hard way when his school hosted a College Colors Day.
This is the story of a fourth-grader at Altamonte Elementary School in Florida. He really wanted to wear a University of Tennessee t-shirt for College Colors Day but had to settle with making his own shirt. His teacher was impressed, but other kids laughed at him and reduced him to tears. So, his teacher, Ms Snyder, wanted to get him a real Tennessee t-shirt. She wrote an impassioned Facebook post to try to help him.
“Last week, my elementary school participated in college colors day,” she wrote. “When I told my students about this day a week before, this particular child came to me and told me that he wanted to wear a University of Tennessee shirt, but he didn’t have one. We discussed that he could wear an orange shirt to show his spirit.
“He told me every day leading up to it that he had an orange shirt that he was going to wear. So when the day finally arrived, he was SO EXCITED to show me his shirt. I was impressed that he took it one step further to make his own label.”
Ms Snyder, pictured above. However, that’s when disaster struck.
“After lunch, he came back to my room, put his head on his desk and was crying. Some girls at the lunch table next to his (who didn’t even participate in college colors day) had made fun of his sign that he had attached to his shirt. He was DEVASTATED. I know kids can be cruel, I am aware that it’s not the fanciest sign, BUT this kid used the resources he had available to him to participate in a spirit day.”
So, Ms Snyder had a plan, she just needed the help of other people to enact it.
“I plan to get him a University of Tennessee shirt but was wondering if anyone has any connections to the University of Tennessee. I wanted to make it a little extra special for him. If anyone has any contacts that they’d be willing to share, please let me know. Thanks!”
College Coming Through
Her post was shared nearly 10,000 times, and people from all over America read it. It even got to officials at the University of Tennessee. They immediately sent the child a college care package filled with shirts and caps and all sorts!
“My student was so amazed at all the goodies in the box,” wrote Ms Snyder. “He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box. All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people.”
But it just got better and better. This child’s favorite college promised to put his homemade DIY design onto their actual shirts!
“When I told him that his design was being made into a real shirt and people wanted to wear it, his jaw dropped. He had a big smile on his face, walked taller, and I could tell his confidence grew today!”
This college taught a young child that creativity should never be punished. He is now more confident and happier, and repping that University of Tennessee t-shirt! Let us know what you think of this teacher’s actions in the comments, and share with your family and friends.
