Alyssa Arrington is a Rising Star at Tuscaloosa’s Arcadia Elementary

Tuscaloosa City Schools, along with Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa, Legal Services of Alabama and Child Abuse Prevention Services, will highlight and recognize Rising Star Character Students of the Month from each school in the district during the 2022-2023 school year. Every month, two to three outstanding TCS students will be highlighted in this series.

Local leaders and school staff surprised a fifth grader at Tuscaloosa's Arcadia Elementary last week to recognize her for the example she sets for other students.

Alyssa Arrington, a 10-year-old fifth grader at Arcadia, was named the school's Rising Star Student of Character during a surprise visit to her classroom Thursday, where her teacher and principal joined TCS staff and outside partners to recognize Arrington for her good behavior.

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Arrington is soft-spoken but hardly shy and said her favorite subject at school was math.

When she is not in the classroom, she said she enjoys playing basketball outside with her older brother.

When asked what inspired her to behave so well and earn this recognition from TCS and their partners, Arrington said she knows other students are watching all the time and that one person acting right can influence an entire group.

"I just feel like I want to set a good example for people so that they can be good too," Arrington said.

Arcadia Elementary is a relatively new facility and home to more than 450 students from Pre-K through fifth grade. Arrington is a student in Rosalyn Robertson's 5th grade classroom.

Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for one more feature this month on another student leader and when the Rising Star Character Student of the Month series continues in April.