Photo and story by Evan Denson
On the playground after lunch one day, April Sargent and her friends fought some of the girls who were bullying her. Sargent didn’t get caught while fighting the girls, therefore, she believed she had triumphed.
During school, Sargent had many problems and was very depressed. In elementary school, a boy stole her reading homework. Moving into sixth grade, Sargent was met with great despair. She couldn’t even enjoy her first year of middle school because people were bullying her so much. They talked about her forehead, called her out in class, even talked about her before she had even left the classroom.
Before Sargent even had the chance to sit down in her class, a girl yelled, “Hey, forehead!” This was pretty normal for Sargent, and it happened just about everyday. It’s sad, but Sargent would play it off as if nobody had said anything to her. She always had this “blank look” on her face like she was lifeless.
Sargent’s seventh and eight grade years were fairly good. She only had two complications she was written up for. One of which was when she had a conflict with her Spanish teacher, because she felt she would not learn anything from her teacher. She was furious and frustrated, and she let her anger take control. Sargent said some words she was not supposed to say, and now she feels guilty about it.
“I’m fed up with all of this bullying,” Sargent said in anger.
In ninth grade, things took a turn for the better for Sargent. This was the best year she had ever had in school. She had no drama at all. Nobody bullied her. She didn’t have any problems with boys or anything. She found interest in other things, such as after school activities. She found interest in basketball, but she didn’t specialize in sports too much. She expanded her interests by becoming a part of the drill team for JROTC. These activities kept Sargent out of trouble and helped keep her mind off of irrelevant things and people.
Currently, Sargent is going to the 11th grade, moving past her problems and growing as a young woman living in Jackson, Miss. She is learning how to deal with people, and slowly make friends who will stay in her life. She has her mom to help her through every problem she faces because she is the light to Sargent’s darkness.
“Always be yourself and don’t try to be like anybody because you are unique,” Sargent’s mother said to her.
Sargent is currently working on her communication skills, which is why she is a part of the Mississippi Youth Media Project this summer, where she is specializing in podcasting. She is also doing flag for Callaway High School. Sargent hopes to turn her life around so she can escape depression and hopefully see a new light in her life.
