Tapestry of Voices, Threads of Change: Mecklenburg County Student Shares her Story as Do the Write Thing National Ambassador
A student from Northeast Middle School represented her school and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community as national ambassador at the Do the Write Thing Recognition Summit in Washington, D.C. Haven Williams, a rising 8th grader, represented her peers at the summit July 12 - 16, along with her teacher at Northeast Middle, Mai-Lan Lewis.
Haven participated in the 2025 Do the Write Thing writing program, where middle schoolers across the nation wrote about topics relating to youth violence. Do the Write Thing is a program of the National Campaign to Stop Violence, sponsored by the Kuwait-America Foundation. Haven’s writing sample was chosen out of 587 entries from 14 Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle schools. The most common types of violence addressed by the students this year included domestic violence, bullying and cyberbullying, physical assaults, alcoholism, exposure to violent media content, and more.
Haven was joined by her father and 27 other middle schoolers from across the country, along with their guardians and teachers. The summit included workshops and visits to the U.S. Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Capitol Hill, and other landmarks. The students were treated to a dinner at the residence of Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Kuwait to the United States. The Kuwait-America Foundation's commitment to reducing violence everywhere is a foundational principle of the Do the Write Thing program. While in Washington, Haven also had the opportunity to meet with judiciary staff in the office of U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, and witness her writing placed into the Library of Congress.
The theme of this year’s summit was “Tapestry of Voices, Threads of Change,” recognizing the importance of how diverse collections of stories, perspectives, and opinions are interconnected. In her entry, Haven wrote of the pain and impact of domestic and youth violence on her life and how it has changed how she views people around her.
Bullying is a big reason why some students resort to gun violence or even suicide. Social media and cyberbullying may cause teens to compare themselves to other people, thinking “I want to look like them” and that can cause insecurities. On top of the bullying, it can lead to suicide or even cause a school shooting. Some people might want to “get revenge” on the peers that bully them or torment them.
Do the Write Thing targets middle school students because of their unique perspectives on youth violence. It asks three questions: What are the causes of youth violence? How has violence affected your life? What can you do to reduce youth violence? Through the program, students use their creativity and writing skills to share their opinions and experiences. Traveling to Washington to meet other ambassadors and political figures is the next step in making their voices heard.
While violence and crime in North Carolina schools has dropped slightly according to data released this year, prevention remains a top priority. Now that Haven and her fellow ambassadors have returned home, they can use what they learned in D.C. to continue being role models in their schools. Haven plans to start a mental health/emotional support club at her school to help other students get the support they need. Northeast Middle won the “Most Essays” award with 159 submissions and received $300 worth of school supplies.