BOTETOURT, Va. – What began as a bullying incident at a high school football game has transformed into a platform for change, thanks to one Botetourt County student’s determination to make a difference.
Oscar Seitz, a student at James River High School who was bullied last October, has seen a complete turnaround in his school experience.
“All the people who used to bully me are now super nice to me in the hallways,” Seitz said.
The transformation came after Seitz and his family worked with school administrators to address bullying, and advocating for more autism awareness.
“We were able to discuss ways that we can all work together as parents and as leadership at the school,” said Jeremy Seitz, Oscar’s father. “We integrated everyone else in the school — other students, staff, teachers — to focus more on dealing with bullying and cyber bullying.”
The experience inspired Oscar to become an advocate. He recently delivered a regional TEDx Talk about finding strength through his interests in anime and books, emphasizing the importance of representation for people with autism in media.
“It shows the hardships they face and you can see the ways they overcome it,” Oscar said. “I went through that, I know what that’s like. And I’m able to connect with characters better than before.”
His advocacy has gained national attention. The Be A Friend Project, an organization supporting bullying victims, selected Oscar as their featured student of the month. The program sends letters and care packages to students who have faced bullying.
Jeremy Seitz encourages other parents facing similar situations to speak up.
“Do it for yourself, but do it for them as well,” he said. “Continue to fight, continue to speak up, continue to rally and work together.”