Rick Yarosh answers questions from students.
Walton CSD students in the middle and high school on Wednesday were treated to Sweethearts & Heroes, a social and emotional wellness and youth leadership team focused on student empowerment and empathy activation.
Through an assembly for grades 6-12 in the morning, to smaller group sessions throughout the day, students learned about HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist), as well as using the fundamentals of SEL to be able to prevent bullying.
Former MMA fighter Tom Murphy, who is the director and founder of Sweethearts & Heroes, and Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert and motivational speaker, were the presenters for the day. Yarosh was severely burned while serving in Iraq.
The initial presentation lasted about an hour and 20 minutes, and was an interactive session with students. Murphy worked intertwined stories and lessons and utilized students to show different perspectives. Yarosh told his story and how he overcame nearly being killed in Iraq, and his long road back and dealing with severe burns.
Following the main session, Yarosh held Q&A sessions with grades throughout the day, and Murphy worked in each sixth-grade classroom, leading circle activities.
You can find more photos from this event on our Facebook page.