To: Congess
Break the Cycle
Hi, my name is Soleigh Vanderburg. I’m 11 years old, and today I’m speaking up not just for myself, but for anyone who has ever been hurt by bullying.
I know what it feels like when someone’s words or actions make you feel small, invisible, or unwanted. It’s not just a moment. Sometimes, the pain stays with you for days, weeks, even years. But here’s the truth sometimes the people who hurt others are carrying their own pain. Maybe they’ve been bullied, maybe they’ve been ignored, or maybe no one has shown them what kindness looks like.
But that does not make it okay. Pain is never an excuse to pass on pain. That’s why I believe in breaking the cycle. We can stop the chain reaction. We can choose to respond to hurt with hope, to answer meanness with kindness, and to stand up for each other even when it’s not easy. Breaking the cycle means we don’t become what hurt us. It means we don’t let someone else’s bad choices turn us into someone we don’t want to be. It means we take the power back not by fighting, but by being better. I’m calling on every student, every teacher, and every parent to join me. Let’s look out for the quiet kid sitting alone. Let’s check in on the friend who’s been acting different. Let’s speak up when we see something wrong. Because silence is like fuel for bullying and our voices can put that fire out. We all have the power to break the cycle. And it starts with one choice: be better than what hurt you. My name is Soleigh Vanderburg. I’m 11 years old. And I choose to be better.
I know what it feels like when someone’s words or actions make you feel small, invisible, or unwanted. It’s not just a moment. Sometimes, the pain stays with you for days, weeks, even years. But here’s the truth sometimes the people who hurt others are carrying their own pain. Maybe they’ve been bullied, maybe they’ve been ignored, or maybe no one has shown them what kindness looks like.
But that does not make it okay. Pain is never an excuse to pass on pain. That’s why I believe in breaking the cycle. We can stop the chain reaction. We can choose to respond to hurt with hope, to answer meanness with kindness, and to stand up for each other even when it’s not easy. Breaking the cycle means we don’t become what hurt us. It means we don’t let someone else’s bad choices turn us into someone we don’t want to be. It means we take the power back not by fighting, but by being better. I’m calling on every student, every teacher, and every parent to join me. Let’s look out for the quiet kid sitting alone. Let’s check in on the friend who’s been acting different. Let’s speak up when we see something wrong. Because silence is like fuel for bullying and our voices can put that fire out. We all have the power to break the cycle. And it starts with one choice: be better than what hurt you. My name is Soleigh Vanderburg. I’m 11 years old. And I choose to be better.
Why is this important?
Bullying doesn’t just hurt one person. It creates a chain reaction. When someone is hurt, they can sometimes pass that hurt to someone else, and the cycle keeps going. But what if we stopped it? What if we were the generation that said, “No more”? I can’t do that alone. I need people who are brave enough to care, bold enough to speak up, and kind enough to act. This campaign is about more than just saying “don’t bully” it’s about learning how to heal from our own pain so we don’t pass it on. It’s about teaching others that kindness is not weakness, and that standing up for what’s right is something to be proud of. When you join Break the Cycle, you become part of a team that:
- Speaks up when they see bullying.
- Supports people who are hurting, even if we don’t know them.
- Encourages healing, not revenge.
- Builds a community where everyone feels like they belong.
This isn’t just my fight it’s everyone’s. If you’ve ever been bullied, if you’ve ever seen someone else being bullied, or even if you’ve ever felt tempted to be mean because you were hurting, then you have a reason to join. Together, we can change the culture in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and even online. We can make kindness the norm, not the exception. We can make it so every kid feels safe, accepted, and valued for who they are. It only takes one voice to start a movement, but it takes many voices to change the world. Will you add yours to mine?