“There are three ways to ultimate success, the first way is to be kind the second way is to be the third way is to be kind” -Mr. Rogers
Mr. Rogers was a famous children’s television star from 1968 to 2001. He was born and raised in Latrobe, PA, but sadly passed away on February 27, 2003, at the age of 74. He was very kind and focused a lot of his shows on kindness. He always ended his shows with a goodbye song, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” Mr. Rogers positively impacted children through his kindness.
Random acts of kindness are defined as giving your best self to others without requests or promises of return or investment. Random acts of kindness should be an everyday occurrence. They should leave a fuzzy warm feeling when you provide others with these acts, but also when you receive an act yourself.
Delaney Kloos said, “I spilled my soup on my outfit and all my friends rushed to get paper towels for me, we eventually all went to the bathroom to try to get the stain out.” Delaney’s friends stopped eating to help her in every way she needed.
Every single day you receive or share a random act of kindness. They help to brighten others’ days and make you feel good about yourself. Being kind has been proven to boost your self-esteem, empathy, compassion, and your mood. Studies have shown that being kind boosts levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters produce feelings of happiness and satisfaction. These cause the pleasure and reward system to light up the brain.
The silent random acts are acts you do not notice, like when someone picks up the pencil that you dropped or when you smile at someone as you pass them by. These are acts that are small gestures that can change a bad day into a good day.
“I was not feeling my best, like kinda sick, so my best friend Danica let me sit next to her and lay on her,” Sadie Huffman said. “She kept rubbing my back and playing with my hair. She made me feel ten times better.”
Random acts of kindness have many benefits. They help your mental health by reducing stress, improving emotional well-being, and can even benefit your physical health. Being kind can reduce blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone correlated to stress levels. Doing random acts of kindness can even make you happier and improve relationships. Kindness can help with connecting with others and help to decrease loneliness. Random acts can make you feel better about yourself.
“I tripped in the halls one day, and this random kid helped me get up,” Emma Tonin said. “He made sure I was okay and he smiled at me. It made me feel less embarrassed.” Even though she felt embarrassed, the random kid made her smile.
Kindness is the best way to build new or old friendships, reduce stress levels, and achieve happiness. A study shows that people who are kind and balanced tend to live longer and be healthier. Adding random acts of kindness to your days can make a positive impact in your life that you might need.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou Share your “story.”
“Acts of kindness I think are a good practice to have to make yourself & others feel lighter and happier.” ~ Arianna Cramer ‘26
“I helped out in raking some elderly citizens’ yards for free so that they don’t have to worry about having to do it themselves or have to pay someone else to do it. It definitely made them very happy.” ~ Sierra Lyons ‘26
“I was at the movies a while back in November with my friends and we met other girls in the theater and joined them. We paid for their tickets and watched the movie together. We all had a really good time and it felt good to reach out and make new friends.” ~ Grace Torrillo ‘26
“Doing the little things like cleaning up a lamp that broke or putting a smile on people’s faces is more important because they might be inspired to do the same for others.” ~ Avery Federico ‘26
“There is no reason not to be kind, so why not be it?” ~ Charlie Thomson ‘26
“This “project” gave me a new point of view in the way that doing something so simple can make the biggest impact on just not you but others.” ~Peyton Ferraro ‘26
“In elementary school, I had gotten a bad grade on a spelling test and was sad about it. During recess an older kid asked me what was wrong. I told her and she have me a lollipop and said, “Better luck next time.” ~Gabbie Wilson ‘26
“I think a time I felt like this is when my best friend stayed with me the whole time I was sick. It is so important to do the little things even if you think they won’t matter.” ~Gabriella Simon Lurito ‘26
“By showing my gratitude for others, it has made me feel the impact that I can make to let people have a positive day.” ~Miley Williams ‘26
“I’d like to thank my friend Abby for inviting me over to her house for Thanksgiving. I really appreciated it since I have Thanksgiving late.” ~Greyson Chedrick ‘26
“I’ve learned that it is nice to be kind to others and when you are kind it will be reciprocated back to you through different ways with each person.” ~Derek Scheller ‘26
“My good friend Mary Schultz is the master of compliments. It always feels good when she mentions a piece of my outfits.” ~Hendra Rafferty ‘26
“It’s always a nice feeling when you see someone smile after you compliment or help them and it’s very contagious.” ~Ryanne Lehman ‘26
“This month all of the acts of kindness helped to better me and show how much a small act can change someone’s day.” ~Gabe Watson ‘26
“Trying to become an activist made me reflect on my actions and priorities having a positive effect on others.” ~Brooke Coll ‘26
“In late November I was able to buy Christmas gifts for underprivileged kids that might not be getting as many gifts as others. I do this every year, and this year I got a 6 year old boy that loves Spider-Man. I could see myself in him because I loved Spider-Man as a kid. I love giving other people gifts and I know that it makes the kids day when they get the gifts.” ~Nate Kubenko ‘25
“I try to treat everyone with kindness and try to improve their days because I most definitely remember the people who made me feel good about myself.” ~McKenna Brackney ‘25
“Last year I was playing varsity as a sophomore, while the rest of my court was seniors. Although moments were scary and stressful, one of them told me something I’d never forget: “You deserve to be out here just as much as me.” I felt so much confidence and pride in that moment, and played my heart out every game I could thank to her.” ~Chiara Mongelluzzo ‘25
“One time when I was 7 I was on my bike and crashed in front of this older lady’s house and she ran off her porch to help me up and give me a band-aid.” ~Zyan Stanko ‘25
“People may not rember what you did or said, but there is an impact left through whatever you do, which may open other paths for other people to make a difference and make change whether that’s in the world as in the community.” ~Isabella Dicecca ‘25
