Dublin Students Awarded “Stars of Integrity” at 1st Annual Ceremony

The stars were out last Thursday evening. These were not just the constellations visible on a clear night. They also included nearly 100 Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) students that were being honored at the new Dublin High School Student Union for their persistent contributions towards fostering positive characteristics to their respective school sites. It was a night of recognition and celebration and OneDublin.org was pleased to report on this positive event.

Established in 2006, the Dublin Integrity in Action movement was formed by a collaboration between the City of Dublin and the Dublin Unified School District. The premise was that the development of a young citizen should not be confined solely to academics. Rather, the “whole child” should also embrace character traits that would positively impact not only themselves, but to their community, as well. The traits are specific. They include being: Respectful, Responsible, Caring, Giving, a Positive Attitude, Trustworthy, Cooperative, to do My Best, Honesty and Self-Discipline. While these are high standards, scores of our students exhibit these characteristics each and every day.

The awards ceremony has held in the recently completed Dublin High School Student Union. Awardees and their families were invited to enjoy a dessert array and refreshments provided by the Dublin High School Culinary Arts and Catering Program. Subsequently, representatives from the school district offered their greetings for the event. Notably, Greg Clark, a former San Francisco 49er player and Founding Member of Dublin Integrity in Action offered a stirring anecdote about the importance of following one’s dreams and to never give up – regardless of any obstacles or physical limitation.

OneDublin.org reached out to two individuals that were instrumental in enlarging this event. Alan Brown is the current Chairperson of the Dublin Integrity in Action Board. Mr. Brown’s son, Aslan, graduated from Dublin High School in 2011. Alan has also served in multiple capacities n support of DUSD. He shared some of his thoughts that evening.

OneDublin.org: Thursday was the First Annual Recognition ceremony at DHS. Explain why it was important to move this event into a larger/public setting.

Alan Brown

Alan Brown: “The goal of the celebration was to recognize students from all of the DUSD schools who had been recognized as Students of Integrity throughout the school year. The list of students approached 100 and we had to consider that each student would be supported by parents or other relatives.”

OneDublin.org: The term “character” was mentioned repeatedly tonight. How do you expect these recipients to demonstrate this trait, not only today, but for years to come? How might they influence their peers?

Brown: “As a psychology major, one of the principles that I learned was that repeated behavior becomes a habit. The Character Development Program aims to instill in the students that good character habits pay off in personal benefits throughout one’s life experiences. It is expected that when peers observe the outcomes from those who practice good character habits, their behavior can change as they emulate their peers.”

Fallon Middle School Counselor, Kelly Zummo, also serves on the DIIA board in the role of Character Development. She has served as a middle school counselor for 16 years and has been employed by DUSD since 2006. Our initial invitation to cover this event was offered by her and we wanted to hear her perspective on this initiative.

OneDublin.org: Please describe why it is important for our school district to support a program like Dublin Integrity in Action.

Zelly Zummo and Paul Faris

Kelly Zummo: “It is important because Dublin is a great place to live, work and to raise our children and we want to keep it that way. A comprehensive program affects our school district as a whole, adding the student recognition piece was just natural. The DIIA community-wide character development program gets us all on the same page and additionally supports the district vision of the 2020 strategic plan.

OneDublin.org: For the students that received this honor tonight, how do you expect them to influence their peers – regardless of grade level?

Zummo: “It’s not really an expectation, it is reality! For some, it may have been the littlest thing that separated one student from the rest to earn the recognition. But these are also the students who embody all ten traits day after day. That is not to say that they are perfect – it is owning up to those mistakes and making things right that sets these kids (and many others) apart.”

OneDublin.org: Explain how more Dublin citizens can become more involved in this movement.

Zummo: “The school program was one of the earlier foundations, but DIIA’s connection has been unclear to many. All can plan an active role and we meet monthly to discuss how we can support and make a difference in our community. The more support and representation that we develop, the more that we will thrive.”

OneDublin.org commends the efforts by both Dublin Integrity in Action and DUSD for supporting the Integrity in Action program. The Stars of Integrity are shining brightly across the city of Dublin. They are adding positive characteristics to our community every day. The event program is available here.

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