Brown Elementary sixth grade students Shayla Visger and Joshua King share many similarities inside the classroom and out, including their character.  At Tuesday’s Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, both students were honored as November’s Character Counts students of the month for the trait of citizenship.

 Aside from excelling in academics, Shayla and Joshua are good citizens by showing pillars of character every day with their parents, peers and teachers. 

“Josh is a great kid,” said Joshua’s father Geoffrey King.  “He is very dedicated in his school and everything he does.  He is a go-getter and extremely driven.  I couldn’t have asked for a better son.”

Joshua is also a contributing member of the community by assisting his ill grandmother.   He is currently a member of the student council and is seen as a leader by his peers.

“I respect and follow the rules at school,” said Joshua.  “I also help out students whenever they need help on a work problem.”

Joshua’s favorite subject in school is math and he hopes to become a veterinarian one day.

Being a good citizen means working in the community to make it a better place, a trait that Shayla exemplifies as president of student council.

“Being a good citizen reflects on you in different ways,” said Shayla.  “A good citizen is a person who is caring, loyal, and is a contributing member to society.”

Jeff Persons, principal of Brown Elementary, said he is appreciative of his hardworking students and hopes they carry on their traits in the years to come.

“These two students exemplify all the character traits,” said Persons. “It is for that reason that they were called to leadership and student council.  I always appreciate sixth grade students who by the end of the time in elementary school have showed what it is to be a great citizen.  I hope that they carry their values in the next years to come and serve as role models to other members in society.  I am truly proud of them.”