AAA Mid-Atlantic and The Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education honored seven students throughout the Philadelphia 5 county region this year as Outstanding AAA School Safety Patrol Members for the 2018-2019 school year. Of those seven students, four are from Montgomery County.

Montgomery County

• Surya Bathini – Simmons Elementary, Hatboro Horsham School District
• Tyana Escobar – Cole Manor Elementary, Norristown Area School District
• Jennifer Garcia Gomes – Whitehall Elementary, Norristown Area School District
• Christopher Kinslow – St. Albert the Great School, Huntingdon Valley

Surya Bathini

Surya Bathini is described as having a “quite remarkable” leadership style for the average fifth grader, going above and beyond to help younger students to feel safe and comfortable in their new school by offering encouraging words to apprehensive preschoolers. He has been described as “a wonderful patroller, but an even better friend.”

Tyana Escobar

Tyana Escobar is a fourth grader who is described as a leader, compassionate, trustworthy, and honest. One day, due to snow, the school bus was not able to make it to one of its stops. Tyana took initiative and personally walked eight students through the snow and to the front doors of their homes. She knocked and waited for an adult to let the children in before leaving.

Jennifer Garcia Gomez

Fourth grader Jennifer Garcia Gomez is described as committed, compassionate and a proactive leader who is a critical member of her safety patrol team. She also has the innate ability to care for others, which was shown when she assisted her guidance counselor in coordinating with Shoes That Fit, a charity that works with the school to provide shoes for students in need.

Christopher Kinslow

Kinslow, an 8^th grader, is described as conscientious and courteous. He has a commanding presence as a leader, but also greets every person with a smile or a high five. No matter the weather, he stands outside at his post for 30 minutes every morning and makes sure that every single student gets into school safely.

Christopher is so dedicated to his job it limits the time available to socialize with peers in the mornings. However, he never complains.

For almost 100 years, AAA Mid-Atlantic has sponsored and provided major support for the AAA School Safety Patrol by supplying training materials, recognition programs for service, and patrol equipment, including the familiar badge and belt.

AAA School Safety Patrols direct children, not traffic. As school-age leaders in traffic safety, patrol members teach other students about traffic safety on a peer-to-peer basis. They also serve as role models for younger children.  Patrols complete training in traffic safety so they can protect students from the hazards of crossing roads and highways on their way to and from school; assist bus drivers in safely transporting students to and from school; teach fellow students about traffic safety; and serve other leadership functions under the direction of school officials