High school can be a tough time for kids, especially if cliques are involved. Sometimes, it can seem like everyone is out to get everyone else. And the worst part is that taking that mentality with you after high school can cause problems with relationships down the line. If only everyone could just relax and appreciate each other, right?
One mysterious Instagram account called The Benevolent One 3 aims to foster that sense of appreciation. Every day, students from East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, follow along as the account sends out individualized shout-outs to fellow students. Photos of students are accompanied by thoughtful, positive captions about that person with the goal of brightening his or her day.
Up until recently, no one knew who was behind it.
Every day, students are recognized for their kindness, cool clothes, senses of humor, and athletic abilities, and most captions tie in words of encouragement for the future. Students from the classes of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 are all represented.
Not only does the account stand out for its kindness, but also for its unwavering efforts to include everyone, regardless of their grade or social circle. That can be hard to do in high school. The added encouragement at the end of each passage also shows compassion and understanding for the many insecurities and questions that teenagers face as they grow, learn, and change.
Eventually, the person behind the Instagram was revealed. During his graduation speech, Konner Suave, valedictorian of the class of 2015, admitted that he created the account. He noted that over the course of the year, students seemed to become more united. He hopes that his kindness was at least part of the reason for that. He also encouraged the younger classes to continue the legacy of kindness and compassion for one another, helping East Valley grow as a community.
Konner Suave, the student behind the Instagram account, was also the valedictorian of his class.
Suave says that he was inspired by a Maya Angelou quote: “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.” He used that sentiment to create the Instagram account. “During the summer, I made the decision to go in and try to make everyone here feel appreciated and recognized for simply being the amazing people they are,” he says. “It is easy for people to be cruel over social media, so I decided to make an anonymous account on Instagram that would counteract the negativity seen today by posting a picture of each student and a paragraph about what makes them great.”
(via Hello Giggles)
Suave’s kindness and sense of inclusivity will get him far in life, and his touching words will hopefully resonate with fellow students as they move along their own paths. As he said, it’s very easy to be cruel and thoughtless on social media, so let’s take a cue from Konner and make an effort to be kinder.
