Seven community members, including a firefighter and a law enforcement officer, stand in the FMS gym during Red Ribbon Week beside the headline “Local Heroes Show FMS 8th-Graders Paths to Success.”

Local Heroes Show Fairplay Middle  Eighth-Graders Many Paths to Success

DCSS

November 5, 2026

Red Ribbon Week wrapped up for Fairplay Middle School eighth-graders with the Heroes of Tomorrow assembly, featuring a panel discussion on the topic “What does it take to make your own path?”

The panel included:

  • Mackenzie Bunker, FMS science teacher, Fairplay alumna and former 911 dispatcher

  • Chelsea Pounds, licensed professional counselor and clinical program manager for Willowbrooke at Tanner

  • Lt. Lewis Fredenburg, experienced law enforcement officer, former Fairplay School

    Resource Officer and SWAT member

  • Mario West, retired NBA player, author and youth mentor

  • Alex Bunker, firefighter, EMT and Fairplay alumnus

  • Sino, musician, performing artist and Navy veteran

FMS Counselor Sharrisse El Amrani coordinated the event and served as moderator with student co-hosts Anna Lightner and Christian Tillman.

The premise was to help students see that there are many paths toward success, El Amrani said.

“I wanted them to hear from different kinds of local heroes whose experiences connected with the Red Ribbon Week message and whose work would interest our students,” she said. “The title ‘Heroes of Tomorrow’ invites students to see their own potential. The panel theme, ‘What does it take to make your own path?’ takes that a step further. It invites them to think about what they want for their lives and the choices, habits and support that can help them get there.”

Student involvement began in the planning phase. Students submitted questions for the panel ahead of time via Google Form so their concerns and interests would help shape the conversation. The co-hosts then guided the questions during the assembly. The format provided structure while allowing guests to draw on their own experiences and perspectives.

The assembly also featured interactive segments. Coach Adrienne Griffin created and led several activities involving musical chairs and basketball. Selected students participated, and a couple of panelists joined in, giving students a chance to interact with the guests beyond the panel conversation. Sino performed to round out the event. The live music and games added variety and created several ways for students to engage.

El Amrani said students were especially intrigued by Mackenzie Bunker’s responses and her connection to FMS as a former student.

“Hearing that part of her story gave them a different perspective on someone they already know as their teacher,” she said.

Mario West’s comments about the discipline required to achieve a goal also caught their attention.

“His experience gave weight to that message because the students could connect the work he described with what he had accomplished. The panelists brought experiences that helped make the work involved in building a future more concrete,” she said. “I am grateful to the panelists for giving their time and sharing their experiences with our students. The range of voices made the conversation stronger.”