MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- “Mr. Mitchell, I waited my whole life to come to D.A.R.E.,” said a young fifth-grade girl on Cpl. Joshua Mitchell’s first day as the Matthew C. Perry D.A.R.E officer.
On Jan. 12, 55 fifth-grade students from M.C. Perry Elementary graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program at the Building 1 auditorium here.
During the course of the program, students learned how to stay away and how to say no to tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.
“I can say no easily,” said Mei Williamson, one of Keri Nugent’s students. “You can give them the cold shoulder, say no a lot or use humor. It’s easy.”
Throughout D.A.R.E, the students had to complete course books, write essays and conduct skits to show how to avoid peer pressure.
“Being paired up, acting and playing parts was my favorite part of D.A.R.E.,” said Williamson.
Students, teachers and service members all expressed that they enjoyed taking part in the D.A.R.E program.
“I got to become more of a friend than a teacher,” said Mitchell. “They already knew half of the stuff I came to teach them, so I was able to come in and have fun. It was a good experience.”
Mitchell said that D.A.R.E. is not just important to the students but also to the people around them who are affected by what they have learned.
“It’s important for them to make good decisions and to be a good example for everyone else,” he said.
The staff seemed to be very pleased with Mitchell’s effort to reach out to the children at M.C. Perry.
“He did a great job getting them engaged,” said Gwen Ziegler, a fifth-grade teacher. “He gave them all the respect they deserved and really helped them grasp all the concepts. They always had fun, and I rarely ever had to step in to help.”
During the graduation, each student received a D.A.R.E certificate, and Daren the Lion presented them each with a D.A.R.E. T-shirt and water bottle.
Out of the 55 students, four stood out just a little more above the rest. They were the winners of the essay contest. Students wrote an essay on what they learned in D.A.R.E and why they thought it was important.
Mei Williamson of Keri Nugent’s class, Marlon Vesprey of Bonnie Kassabaum’s class, Gaven Crochet of Gwen Zieglers class, and Delilah Rodriguez, the overall winner for the fifth-grade class, took the stage to read their essays aloud and were each presented with a medal.
“They were all a great group of kids,” said Mitchell. “They all really wanted to learn. They’re looking into their future for where they can use this. It’s about what these kids can pass on to others that’s really important.”