A Washington high school student surprised his classmates and raised morale with an anonymous Instagram account.
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Teens always seem to be on some form of social media. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter — their cell phones are always pinging them with notifications about the latest photos and tweets. One Yakima, Washington, high school student decided to ping his entire school — in the best way possible.
He spent almost an entire year posting kind words and pictures of his classmates at East Valley High School on Instagram — anonymously.
Konner Sauve (aka@thebenevolentone3) ended up posting about 650 photos of his classmates with heartfelt, thoughtful comments about each person.
Sauve revealed his secret Instagram identity during his graduation speech. “I was nervous,” the 18-year-old said. “It got really loud, but they were happy. Some of my close friends were like ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?'”
Why did he do it?
“Everyone makes mistakes and I wanted to focus on the better aspects of people … To shed a positive light on each individual, make them feel appreciated, and to know that someone cares,” Sauve said.
“I couldn’t believe he was the one that did all these wonderful things for the kids,” said East Valley High School principal, Dottie Say. “It was very positive to raise the morale and address the negativity of social media. He got a standing ovation from all of the seniors.”
So, why did he do it? And why didn’t he want his classmates to know it was him?
“I didn’t want people to think ‘Oh it’s just coming from someone we know,'” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s saying it. Just know you’re recognized for who you are and believes in you. I hope that even with high school and rumors and drama, that they can look at people, even someone they don’t like, and be able to view them without being too judgmental. [We] all fall victim to negativity and it’s a good way to challenge yourself. In doing so, you’re helping others and you’re helping yourself.”
Sauve said other students have picked up the idea and are sharing pictures and positive memories about classmates. To see all of Sauve’s inspirational posts, follow his no-longer-anonymous Instagram account, @thebenevolentone3.
#79: “Angel of the Gap” Saves Hundreds from Suicide << 100 Acts of Male Goodness
Do you have an Act of Male Goodness to share? Or know someone who should be profiled in this series? Email Kristi Dale (kdaleliv@gmail.com) with ‘100 Acts of Male Goodness’ in the subject line.
Photo: Konner Sauve/Instagram