CHINA SPRING, Texas — The first day of school for many students across Texas is just days away. But as many kids were counting down the days, one China Spring student was adding up his blessings.
Trey Stewart has grown up attending school in the China Spring Independent School District. This year, he's going into the eighth grade. But before he could step foot into class on Aug. 7, he took on a special project.
Stewart's mom, Becky Antunes, and Detective Joseph Scaramucci from the McLennan County Sheriff's Office came up with a plan to give every student in the district a free pencil engraved with words of encouragement.
"I just kind of thought 'Go big or go home', so I reached out to Becky," said Scaramucci. "Every kid of China Spring deserves encouragement, and she said she could pull it off..."
"I was telling Trey about it. That's when Trey started helping me.... Trey set it all up," said Anuntes. "He counted the boxes... loaded the boxes and said a prayer to each of the kids who used them."
Nine hours and four days later, Stewart helped craft 3,060 pencils. Every pencil has a single phrase carved into them. They say words of encouragement such as, "You are kind," "You are a good friend," "You are loved," and Stewart's favorite, "You are extraordinary."
"There's nothing bad about being happy. It just causes more people to be happy. People look at me and say 'This kid is a really good kid'. They want to be just like me- and then they start doing it too. It has a really good outcome," said Stewart.
On the first day of school- every China Spring ISD student, all 3,060 of them, will receive a pencil of hope.
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