Miss New York visited Lawrence Middle School

As Shannon Oliver walked down the halls of Lawrence Middle School with a crown on her head, students stopped and stared, while some were brave enough to ask for her autograph.

Oliver, 24, became Miss New York seven months ago after Mallory Hytes Hagan, who was crowned Miss New York 2013, became Miss America. “I was nervous because it’s a lot of work but I was excited,” she said about her title. “I’ve been able to do a lot of things that many people don’t normally get to do.”

One of Oliver’s duties includes speaking to students across the country about her platform: breaking stereotypes and eradicating bullying. “When I was younger, I was bullied,” she said. “You can’t judge a book by its cover and students need to learn things about each other before they judge.”

Eighth-grader Jason Eras said bullying is a huge problem throughout the nation. “Suicide rates have been increasing and they’re higher than they should be,” he said. “The fact that she goes to schools across the country and talks to students about bullying is phenomenal.”

Assistant Principal Rina Beach organized Oliver’s visit, which included two assemblies and lunch with 14 eighth grade students who are apart of school organizations such as Student Government and Drama Club, in hopes that students would learn the impacts of bullying. “We all have things in common and it’s important to look at the things we like about people rather than focus on our differences,” Beach said.

During lunch, students were able to ask Oliver questions and find out more about her. “We were able to understand how her lifestyle is compared to ours and we were able to learn a lot of facts about her life,” Eras said.

Eighth grade Student Body President Robyn Lerebours enjoyed hanging out with Oliver. “It was fun to learn about her story and her experiences,” Lerebours said. “She lives an everyday life.”

“We can relate to her,” said eighth-grader Danielle Portillo. “She’s a normal person and she’s just like us.”