JACKSONVILLE, Texas — The invasion on Ukraine has the entire world watching and supporting those who are in the flight.
For Gus Traylor, a 6th grader at Nichols Intermediate said when he saw the invasion he wanted to take part in supporting Ukraine.
The first approach he took was talking to his principal to share his ideas.
“One afternoon, I was in the hallway and Gus just very bravely came up to me and said, I want to know if my dad and I can purchase a flag. And we can fly it on the flagpole, a Ukrainian flag,” Holly Searcy, Principal at Nichols Intermediate said.
Principal Searcy would later approve Gus’s request, but not without giving Gus an assignment.
“I wanted to hear his perspective. I could write up an article over what he told me and him coming to me, but I think it’s very important that we hear his words,” Searcy said.
Searcy asked Gus to write a letter in his perspective on Ukraine and he wrote:
“Thursday, February 24, 2022,
Russia invaded a small country called Ukraine, a Russian neighbor but the underdog fought back and still are non-stop. You can tell who wants it more. Hanging the Ukraine flag means a lot to me. We have the blessing to be able to come to school and live freely. As Americans [we] should support democracy, freedom, and resistance to tyranny. Russia represents dictatorship and are aggressively trying to take away Ukraine's freedom. I stand with Ukraine.”
“I was touched, first of all, but I wasn’t surprised,” Searcy said. He just has a really neat perspective on things and doesn't have tunnel vision. He's not your typical sixth-grader.”
Gus will be given the opportunity to raise the Ukraine flag Monday, March 28th in front of students, faculty, and staff.
He hopes this will encourage other students his age to support and help those in need whether it’s big or small.
“It’s really exciting because I get to fly the Ukrainian flag over the the flagpole at Nicholos,” Traylor said. I hope they see not just the flag but the country and how they are fighting back so bravely.”