Brian Koch, an easy going, non-judgmental student here at Northeast Community College, has proved that a small change in attitude can make a tremendous difference.
Koch, not unlike most school students these days, has been affected by bullying for a good majority of his life. He recalls that the bullying had started as early as the second grade, and continued throughout the entirety of his high school experience.
“I’ve been called gay, been told that I have no friends, that I’m worthless, that I should not even bother going to college because I’m stupid…” He also had recalled specific experiences, “I’ve been beaten to a pulp by a group of people three times during high school.” One memorable incident was a week before the end of his junior year, when one bully, “decided to smash his head into the concrete.”
Because of these incidents, Koch had suffered from severe depression. He was made to feel worthless, insignificant, and alone. He felt this way for a while, and often felt sorry for himself, thinking, “Why me? I didn’t see why they picked me. I didn’t see anything wrong with me.’”
As though the situation was bad enough, it also seemed that the high school never cared. None of the administration bothered to do anything about the bullying. None of the teachers felt that it was necessary to bring the issue up to the students or parents.
Therefore, the only person that he could rely on to help with the problem was himself. It was at this point in his life that Brian decided to change his entire attitude. He suddenly realized that “high school eventually won’t matter because you won’t really see those people afterward.”
“The world’s going to throw you a hard-ball. You can either catch it, or let it hit you.”
When asked how he now handled people who are bullies now, Koch replied, “I forgive them because they don’t know me. If they knew me, I’m sure they would act differently.”
There is help out there for children who have been bullied. However, for Koch, the answer involved a change in outlook. “The thing that saved me was my change in thinking,” commented Koch.
Koch’s final message to others is, “Always think positive, that’s the only reason I’m here today.”
