Kamya Rogers and Khayla Mitchell's Capstone

This capstone focuses on paying kindness forward both within and outside of the Science Leadership Academy @Beeber community while passing out bracelets and pursuing an Instagram account for the project as well. To both Khayla and I this was more a movement and it was also seen as an escape making the bracelets as this part of the overall process was the most therapeutic and completely free for peers and members of various communities to support. Our main focus was getting people in our community to tell us what kindness meant to them. The best part of this entire experience definitely has to be brightening the days of those who have been gifted a bracelet to show our kindness as well as pay it forward with empathy and various acts of selflessness, not to mention this was a completely non-profit organization. As the end of the 2023 school year ends for seniors such as myself, I have understood on a more personal level the importance of kindness and simply paying it forward. The concept of paying kindness forward gained popularity through the phrase “pay it forward,” which was popularized by Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel and subsequent film adaptation, both titled “Pay It Forward.” The idea behind it is to promote altruism, empathy, and compassion in society by encouraging individuals to perform acts of kindness without expecting anything in return, with the hope that the recipients will continue the cycle by helping others. By paying kindness forward, you contribute to a positive ripple effect, spreading acts of goodwill throughout the community. It emphasizes the power of small gestures and highlights the potential to make a difference in someone else’s life.