MAPLETON — Sixth grader Ari Bertaud brought Mapleton Local School District its first victory in the countywide D.A.R.E essay in more than a decade.
Bertaud’s winning entry came during Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeff Kinney’s first year as the district’s student resource officer.
D.A.R.E., or Drug Abuse Resistance Education, teaches students to make safe, responsible decisions. Lessons include saying no to drugs, navigating social media and standing up to bullying.
Kinney said the program is much more than drug prevention. It teaches life skills and how to make smart decisions.
“D.A.R.E. is quite comprehensive. We talk about not just drugs of abuse, but we talk about choices and being a good citizen. We talk about bullying and making good choices,” Kinney said. “There’s a range of things we do discuss in the D.A.R.E. program.”
The win meant even more to Kinney coming in his first year as Mapleton’s SRO.
“It’s been a while since Mapleton won, but in addition to that, it was my very first year as an SRO,” Kinney said.
Kinney taught around twice as many students as other D.A.R.E. officers this year, including both fifth and sixth graders.
“I had about 120 students and that’s unusual. The only reason I had two classes was because I’m the new SRO and I wanted to move my D.A.R.E. course from sixth grade to fifth grade,” Kinney said.
Students who chose to participate in the essay contest were asked to write about any D.A.R.E. lesson that resonated most with them. Bertaud wrote that confidence will help her avoid risky situations and make healthy choices.
“Because of D.A.R.E., I feel more prepared to face challenges and choose a healthy future,” Bertaud wrote. “The skills I learned about confidence and saying no will help me avoid risky situations and stand up for what’s right.”
Each school selects its top three essays to submit. ACSO Sgt. Angie Hamilton and a committee then choose the countywide winner.
Kinney credited sixth-grade teacher Shelby Ortiz with helping students organize and strengthen their essays.
“My sixth grade teacher, whose class I instructed, created this fantastic plan for them to follow, to write their essays and quite honestly, I think that’s why we won,” Kinney said.
The essay winner also gets to ride in the Memorial Day parade with their D.A.R.E. officer.
Bertaud is friends with the runner-up and asked if they could ride in the parade together, which Kinney had no problem with.
“She was pretty pumped about it,” Kinney said. “I actually had my first and second place winner in the Memorial Day parade. Because they’re friends, Ariana asked me if she could ride with us.”
Kinney said he hopes students leave the program with confidence to pause before making a difficult decision.
“Slow things down and look at the choices and consequences that come with each choice then make an informed, intelligent decision about choices they’re making in their life,” he said.
Below is a PDF of Bertaud’s winning D.A.R.E contest essay.
