Bright sticky notes carrying messages of encouragement scatter across the mirrors of the girls’ bathrooms as a part of senior Blue Tang’s plan to spread positivity.

Tang’s efforts began in December, when Psychology teacher Dr. Christina Smith assigned her AP Psychology class a project where students picked a task that would make a lasting positive impact. Choosing to focus on small acts of kindness, Tang spent the next two weeks leaving handwritten sticky notes on mirrors in the school’s bathrooms to brighten others’ days, along with providing extra notes and a pen so students could add their own messages.

“[The positive affirmations] were just a way to make some days better and send in messages that [students] might not hear, and need to hear,” Tang said.

Tang used their own experiences to shape what they wrote on the notes, including messages like “Have a great day,” “You deserve to take a rest” and “You don’t have to be perfect.”

“I thought of [the affirmations] by myself,” Tang said. “What message would I want to hear? What would make me feel better? What message do I think is important for other people to hear that they might not hear enough?”

As more students began adding to the growing collection of notes, its presence garnered the attention of more students across the school, including senior Alice Burrell, one of Tang’s close friends.

“When I was having a rough day, it was nice to see [the notes],” Burrell said. “I’m sure there’s plenty of other girls that were also having a rough day, so it’s nice to know that somebody would take the time and effort to do that.”

Beyond making her smile, Burrell believes the mirrors were a fitting place for Tang’s anonymous affirmations.  She especially appreciates how the display brings positivity into everyone’s life, providing encouragement for those who need it.

“I feel like there’s a lot of expectations that girls have to move up to, especially beauty standards, so it was a really sweet thing to see that Blue was cheering people up,” Burrell said.

Not only did the notes help others, but they also played a role in Tang’s own personal growth.

“I used to be a very pessimistic person, but now I feel more capable,” Tang said. “When I fall down, I don’t stay down. I’m able to bounce back faster. I don’t let things get to me as much. Overall, I’m happier.”

Tang credits much of their personal growth to their “bonus mom,” a supportive maternal figure and mentor who has strongly influenced their outlook. Seeing positive affirmations on her mirror inspired Tang to bring a similar sense of encouragement to the school community. However, despite optimistic reactions, Tang believes there is still room for improvement.

“I see positives for every situation, so I know there’s some point where I can grow,” Tang said. “The problem with the [positive affirmations] project was that it was only in the girls’ bathrooms, so I was hoping that I could find a public area where all students could go.” 

Looking to the future, Tang hopes to expand the project into a more inclusive space, ensuring every student has a place to share and receive encouragement.

“I want to be sure that all students can contribute to it to hear the things they want to hear and share the messages they want to share to others as well,” Tang said.