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.”
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.
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