The Upstart

After moving the celebration downstairs in Shaw Hall to accommodate their large group student Taylor McCracken and her adviser Sara-Beth Badalamente cut the birthday cake for the entire group to enjoy. Her students can keep in contact with her all week while Badalamente spends MIPA as the activities director. | Photo by Sarah Sims

People usually make sure to post ‘Happy Birthday’ on their friends’ Facebook walls, but for this adviser, her students went beyond a simple message, bringing a small celebration to MIPA camp for her birthday.

The Grand Ledge High School publication staff joined together on Sunday night to deliver a cake to the West Shaw lounge while singing Happy Birthday to their adviser Sara-Beth Badalamente (more commonly known as OC to her students) for all the campers to hear.

“With 26 kids it’s hard to get a group together and we were waiting for the last nine kids. The rest of the group said they were on their way,” Badalamente said.

Badalamente had thought she was gathering everyone to have a group meeting but to her surprise some of her students brought a cake for her birthday which falls around MIPA camp almost every year.

“I think everyone enjoyed the cake,” Grand Ledge student Taylor McCracken said. “Getting together and giving back to OC [Badalamente] a little because she does so much for us.”

The whole room sang happy birthday to Badalamente as her surprise celebration unfolded. She spends every summer at MIPA camp to help her students throughout the week, but took a break Sunday night to have a small get together with her staff. | Photo by Sarah Sims

She teaches intro journalism classes while advising both the newspaper staff and yearbook staff at her school. Many of her students stay during lunch and after school to work on stories and layouts while spending time and getting advice from Badalamente.

“I take great pride in the relationship I have with my students,” Badalamente said. “It is always a work in progress.”

Badalamente spends multiple hours a day with some of her students who take a combination of journalism, newspaper and yearbook classes during the term.

“There are no other people I would rather spend my birthday with,” Badalamente said.

About Sarah Sims

Sarah Sims is a recent graduate from Grand Ledge High School, and will be a freshman at Michigan State University this fall. Sarah's journalism experience started when the newspaper adviser at Grand Ledge forced her to join newspaper staff her sophomore year of high school. She picked up needed skill along the way and held the Design Editor position her junior year and was an Editor-in-Chief her senior year. Along with newspaper she also joined yearbook her senior year, even though senioritis hit her hard.

See the 6 posts that Sarah Sims has written.