The Winfield (KS) Daily Courier
April 9, 2008
Alyssa George, Miss Kansas 2007, will speak to area students about preventing sexual violence in workplaces - specifically bullying - on April 28.
Students attending the presentation will be Winfield fifth-, sixth- and ninth-12 graders along with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders from the Central of Burden school district. The event will take place in the Winfield High School auditorium.
Prevent Sexual Violence in our workplaces is the theme for the April announced by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC).
To bring awareness to students of this important topic, Ellen Olsson, sexual violence prevention education coordinator, and the SVPE Coalition - Wendy Estes, Marcia Wheatcroft, Kathy Wohlgemuth, Francie Wampler, Trudy Yingling, Jackie Brooks, Marcia McIntire, Beth Barbour, and Janice Rhodes - are sponsoring Miss Kansas' visit to Winfield.
Much information has been in the media lately concerning bullying rampant in our workplaces. It was stated on a recent segment of "Good Morning America" that nearly 40 percent of American workers say they have experienced workplace bullying, according to a new study by research firm Zogby International.
As Miss Kansas, Alyssa George, Minneapolis, travels throughout the state and speaks to students as well as adults about the topic of bullying. She focuses on the role of the bystander in bullying situations. This was her platform in the Miss Kansas competition, and she is making a difference in the lives of children in Kansas as she gives the message of the power of a witness.
In her talk, she will illustrate some of the issues facing students today by drawing from her own story. Not only will she speak about bullies and their targets, but her presentation teaches students ways to stand up for other students and the correct procedure for reporting physical and cyber bullying.
George graduated salutatorian from Minneapolis High School. She was awarded the Deborah Barnes Award for Outstanding Instrumentalist at the 2007 pageant. She is now studying business management at the University of Kansas. She has served as member of the LOVE INC Board of Directors; Douglas County Jr. Achievement Board of Directors; KU Chi Omega sorority secretary and recruitment chair of executive board of oficers, philanthropy directory, homecoming chair and Rock Chalk Revue director.
She started her own dance studio in seventh grade and continued to own and operate it through high school. She has been employed as a director and accompanist of children's theater summer productions for five years and has been a KU tutor/mentor to elementary and middle school students.
