[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 180 (Wednesday, November 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6960-S6961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO HANNAH GUILLEMETTE

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, for the October Granite Stater of 
the Month, I would like to recognize an extremely thoughtful and 
motivated young woman who has made it her mission to address bullying 
in our school communities, Hannah Guillemette. Hannah, a high school 
freshman from Bedford, NH, started her anti-bullying and kindness 
campaign ``I've Got Your Back,'' also known as IGYB, when she was in 
middle school just over a year ago. She began by distributing 600 IGYB 
wristbands with a mission tag prompting her peers to include, be kind, 
and respect each other in her community, and the effort quickly grew 
and has touched almost 30,000 people across New Hampshire and 14 other 
States.
  Hannah was inspired to act after witnessing bullying in her own 
school and

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being bullied herself for standing up for friends. She recalled one of 
her middle school friends, who was bullied so badly that he would ride 
his broken bicycle to school in the depths of the New Hampshire winter 
rather than take the bus. Hannah helped get him a new bicycle, but she 
was also inspired to do something more to stop the bullying that 
impacted him and others in her school.
  The summer before her 8th grade year, Hannah came up with the IGYB 
program that includes a wristband, a parent hand-out, and video that 
explains IGYB and how participating students are pledging to stand up 
against bullying and spread kindness in their schools. Now, Hannah 
travels across New Hampshire giving talks to school assemblies and 
recruiting ``ambassadors,'' both student and adults, in school 
communities to help spread the message of IGYB. She is currently 
working with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and other New 
Hampshire officials to implement her program in all New Hampshire 
schools.
  Hannah says that she wants to be a voice both for those who need one 
now and for those who needed one but are no longer here. She hopes that 
her IGYB movement will let students know that people support them and 
have their backs. For her dedication to making her community a better 
place and the work she has done to prevent bullying and spread kindness 
in New Hampshire schools, I am proud to recognize Hannah as our October 
Granite Stater of the Month.

                          ____________________