 |
Bay News 9
Local Programming
On Demand
About
Community
Market Place
Services
Actor, boy with Tourette's speak out against bullying
Mihok and Arnold spoke in front of an auditorium of 400 grade-schoolers about ways to fight bullying.
POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Actor Dash Mihok is used to bright lights and movie sets, but he said he is also used to being picked on and bullied.
Now Mihok has come to Bartow to team up with 9-year-old Jaylen Arnold as part of the boy's anti-bullying campaign.
Arnold came to the public's attention in June, when Bay News 9 aired a story on him that was later picked up by CNN.
The story caught the eye of Mihok, who, like Arnold, has Tourette's syndrome.
"I was instantly touched and blown away and excited and proud," said the actor, who has appeared in movies like "Romeo and Juliet" and "I Am Legend."
"He reminded me of a kid and he had 500 times more bravery," he said. "I wish that I had the fortitude to do that when I was a kid."
Arnold's goal has been to speak to school children about bullying, a dream that has now become reality. This week, he spoke to more than 400 students at Bartow Elementary Academy. Mihok was right by his side.
"I didn't have to come here, but I had to come here because Jaylen's an inspiration to a lot of people," he said.
The pair spoke candidly about what it feels like to be a target for bullying.
"People used to tell me, 'You're going to grow up to be real weird and strange,'" Mihok said.
They encouraged the students not to join in when they see bullying, and to step in to try to prevent it. Each student took home an anti-bullying book and bracelet.
The lesson made an impression on fifth-grader Jaylen Miller.
"I think that he was very brave to just come out here, even though he's been bullied before," he said.
It's a sentiment Arnold said he's heard many times since he started his campaign.
"They're saying, 'Hey Jaylen, you're doing a really good job, you inspired my life, you gave me courage.'"
Contact Information
Be in the Know with Bay News 9 Now!
Get news, weather, and traffic alerts delivered directly to your computer desktop, e-mail, or cell phone with Bay News 9 Now.
- Subscribe for free!
More Polk County Stories
- Sexual offenders forced to move out of mobile home park
- Former foster kids cook holiday meal for first time
- Former farmworker receives award for excellence
- Local newspaper certainly has 'heart'
- Children collect, donate 600,000 pennies
- Students recruited to help classmates learn to read
- BN9.com exclusive: In the shadow of Grady Judd, Day 3
- Man who lost legs to texting driver speaks to media
- Teen attempted murder suspect held in JV detention
Get more holiday details and e-mail us holiday tips and events by visiting our special Holiday page.
| |
Select the size text you want to use to view www.baynews9.com from the choices below.
Bay News 9's Partners
 |  |  |
|  |
About Bright House Networks