MIAMI (WSVN) - It was a day of recognition within the Miami Police Department as several officers were honored for their work and bravery. Alongside them were 10 amazing students.
The “Do The Right Thing” organization receives about 800 nominations monthly.
From elementary to high school grades, these young students were honored for simply doing what’s right, even when it was not easy.
The agency’s “Do The Right Thing” program is intended to highlight students who serve as an inspiration to the community.
“It’s so important to recognize our students for what they do in schools, for doing the right thing, for coming forward and reporting dangerous activity on campus to make sure that our schools, their peers and our communities are safe,” said Ariadna Espinosa, Executive Director of Do The Right Thing.
Brandon Sabalza, a 10th grader at Barbara Goleman Senior High School, was one of the students honored, Thursday.
His willingness to do the right thing likely saved a classmate’s life.
“One of my friends said that she was going to jump from the third floor of our school, so I immediately panicked,” Sabalza said. “I went rushing upstairs to the third floor where she was, and there she was laying on the edge of it.”
Sabalza intervened and de-escalated the situation.
“We were just talking and talking, I was trying to negotiate and tell her not to do it,” Sabalza said. “Telling her there’s people who care for her, I honestly cared for her. I felt like she was scared and so was I.”
It’s his compassion and empathy for others that led this young man to act within a moment’s notice.
“Because, honestly, I have a lot of empathy for people. When I see people happy and safe, just in a good mood, I get happy as well,” Sabalza said, “so I’m always trying to help people.”
To some, he’s considered a hero, but Sabalza said it’s not about that.
“I’ve always thought of doing the right thing being a choice you have to do,” he said. “It’s something you do for the community, so we can all be unified and all as one.”
Sabalza wants to be a physical therapist to continue helping those in his community.
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