‘It’s okay to be you’: Savannah student overcomes bullying with the help of her teacher

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah student and her mother are speaking out after she overcame bullying at school with help from her teacher.

Promise Hargrove says she loves reading and was excited when she transferred to A.B. Williams in Savannah this year. Her mother Tykeia thought it would be a positive experience until other students began targeting her daughter.

“They’ll say that I’m ugly… and at first I brush it off,” Promise said. “They said that they should ignore me and stuff… and they isolated me on the park,” Promise said.

Tykeia Taylor initially tried to help her daughter cope with the situation.

“I’m like, well Promise, we’re going to try to brush it off — maybe it’s just something happening today,” Taylor said.

But the bullying continued. Promise’s mother noticed her grades were dropping and she cried on her way to school.

The principal eventually changed Promise’s classes, but the bullying persisted.

Taylor then reached out to her daughter’s new teacher, Cameron Walker. Meanwhile, Promise started finding purpose in her pain, creating TikTok videos to help other kids deal with bullying.

Walker addressed the issue head-on, starting a class conversation that made a difference. He was named WTOC’s Teacher of the Week in October and says moments like this keep him going.

“It makes me feel like I’m actually serving my purpose… like I’m helping not only my kids, but their families and our community because they are thriving and succeeding,” Walker said.

Promise’s mother says she’s thankful for the support.

“I thank Mr. Cameron Walker for being part of my village... helping my child, helping her mentally, and making her excited about school again,” Taylor said.

Promise’s mother says things are finally back to normal, and Promise has a message for other kids experiencing bullying.

“It’s okay to be you. Don’t let anybody pick on you for being yourself,” Promise said.