Bullied Pottstown Teen Honored With National Award For Bravery

POTTSTOWN, PA — A Pottstown teen who was bullied for months and had her house shot at by two men last month has been honored by a national organization for her bravery in coming forward with her story and surviving.

Jasmin Samba, a 13-year-old student at Pottstown Middle School, won the National Anti-Bullying Medal of Courage from the organization Teach Anti-Bullying.

The medal is given to children who have overcome violence in schools.

"This medal is going to be placed around your neck because you're courageous, because you stood tall,"Claudio Cerullo, the CEO of Teach Anti-Bullying, told Jasmin during the recent event in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. "Because you're still standing with us today."

They also presented Jasmin with a special gift: a pair of her favorite basketball shoes, Air Jordans.

Teach Anti-Bullying works nationwide but is based in Philadelphia. To learn more about their work, see here.

See Patch's previous coverage on this case below:

• Pottstown Family May Sue School District Over Bullying: Report
• Pottstown Shooting Linked To School Bullying Incidents
• Suspects In Pottstown Bullying-Linked Shooting Arrested

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.

Earlier In This Series

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• Girl-To-Girl Bullying: Why It's Different, Difficult To Confront
• Bully Upstander: Whatever He Said Caused Bullies To Back Down
• Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says
• Bullied 10-Year-Old's Suicide 8th In School District This Year
• Girls More Likely Than Boys To See Bullying As Harmful: Study
• 13-Year-Old Hangs Herself, But Bullying Killed Her
• 3-Week Nightmare: How Bullying Pushed My Son To Run Away
• Teen Tells Bullies In Video: 'Every Day, I Wear Your Words'
• 'The Hero Myth': Why Expecting Kids To Fight Bullies Is Harmful
• 'Mr. Anti-Bully': Reformed Bully, 12, Sets Mistake Right
• Mallory Grossman Bullying Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• Malden Schools Were Non-Compliant Through Bullying Saga: DOE
• 'They All Failed And Changed A Child': Malden Bullying Detailed
• Mom Speaks About Bullying Heartbreak: 'I Feel I Failed Him'
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Handshake
• The Bully Menace: 'The Hurt Never Goes Away'
• Bullies And Their Targets The Same: Digital Self-Harm Rising
• Boy, 6, Overcomes Bullying, Heart Condition To Spread Kindness
• Williamsburg Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Tortured Minds
• Bullying Tougher To Confront When It's Bias-Based: Researchers
• Bullied New Hampshire 5th Grader Makes Tearful Plea
• The Bully Menace: 13 Age-Appropriate Reads
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters
• Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says

From The Experts

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• The Bully Menace: Patch Experts Offer Tips To Parents
• Anti-Bully Experts Offer Tips On Sometimes Deadly Encounters
• Understanding The Bully: They're Often Victims, Too, Experts Say

What We've Learned

• The Bully Menace: What Patch Has Learned About Childhood Torture