The following students from the East Zone were honored Thursday, May 26 at the Lee County School Board offices in Fort Myers for the Do The Right Program.

John McGraw is the coordinator for the Do The Right Thing program which is sponsored by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

The following are students in this area of the county who received T-shirts and trophies. Parents and school officials attended the event last week.

The honored are:

* Sá Noda Russ of Lehigh Acres, is a fifth grade Student at Harns Marsh Elementary School.

First grade teacher Ellen Marshall said while waiting for the school bus Sá Noda was sitting next to a fellow student who was being bullied by two other girls that ride that bus. Sá Noda told the two girls to leave the student alone because it was bullying and emotional abuse. He kept defending the student until a teacher came.

* Harmony Duncan of Lehigh Acres is a sixth grade student at – Oak Hammock Middle School.

School Resource Officer Deputy Chris Doughty said that Harmony became aware of safety concerns and had the courage to come forward and share what she had observed. As a result of her sharing, authorities were able to take appropriate actions.

* Andro Diaz of Lehigh Acres is a seventh grade student at Lehigh Acres Middle School.

School Counselor Eileen Cherbini said the student used conflict resolution skills to stop a potential fight at the bus stop. Two girls were arguing and it was escalating. He helped them stop and pause to think about what they were arguing over. When it was over he reported to school authorities and who were able to communicate with and help the students.

* Omar Gonzalez of Lehigh Acres is an eighth grade student at Lehigh Acres Middle School.

Assistant Principal Forrest Walker Jr. said Omar provided information that helped officials confirm an administrative decision concerning a student involved in a peer conflict.

* Selena Soto of Lehigh Acres is a sixth grade student at Lehigh Acres Middle School.

Mathematics teacher Stan Lisle said Selena, who speaks Spanish well, has taken on the responsibility of helping a new student who speaks very little English. She sits by him in class, translates lessons and problems into Spanish, and tutors him on the subject. Without her help, the student would have a much harder time with Mathematics, the teacher said.

*Tony Youngblood of Lehigh Acres is an eighth grade student at Lehigh Acres Middle School.

Assistant Principal Forrest Walker Jr. said Tony acted responsibly when confronted by another student inappropriately. Instead of fighting, Tony walked away from the situation and avoided the confrontation.

*Dylan Hefner of Lehigh Acres is a seventh grade student at Alva Middle School.

School Resource Officer Deputy Bill Patton said that during physical education class, Dylan noticed a safety issue that could have hurt several students. Dylan acted quickly and went to his teacher and reported the safety issue. Together they corrected the safety problem. It is not often that a student would report a safety concern, yet Dylan’s observation and actions saved students from being injured.

* Tyrone Black Jr. of Lehigh Acres is a ninth grade student at Lehigh Senior High School.

School Resource Officer Deputy Andre Penny said Tyrone did the right thing when he stepped in to stop a fight between fellow students. Penny said his actions reflect the belief that school is a place of learning and character development and not a place for brawling.

The following two students will be honored together:

* Yelyna Rodriguez-Vega and Verlynne Desrouleaux live in Lehigh Acres. They are both ninth grade students at East Lee County High School.

School Resource Officer Cpl. Garfield Young said Yelyna and Verlynne truly care about their friends. When faced with a challenge to a particular friendship they had to make a decision. Their decision involved listening, understanding deep needs and making a courageous choice. They sought qualified assistance to help a friend in need.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, different schools were honored for participation in the Do The Right Thing program. Alva Middle School was selected as the middle school of the year.