ALABASTER – Two Hoover City Schools students were recognized on Wednesday, May 15, for “strength of character.”

Caroline McCabe, senior at Spain Park High School, and Lily Beam, a fifth grader at Riverchase Elementary School, were the latest recipients of Character In Action Awards presented by the Children’s Policy Council at Family Connection Inc.

Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Jim Kramer said he often sees young people who have made wrong decisions.

“I know that there are students out there who are living their lives making the right decisions, and these are the students that we are recognizing today,” Kramer said.

Emily Littrell, school social worker with Shelby County Schools, said nominations were sought from the selected schools that “best exemplified strength of character.”

Among the qualifications listed in McCabe’s nomination were:

• Caroline shows a great amount of maturity and control when it comes to her emotions. She doesn’t let things get her down easily and isn’t one to get upset over little things. She is a very positive person.
• Caroline goes to one of our elementary schools once a week for her peer helping class, but she chooses to attend and help out an additional day each week as well! She is very involved in helping make her school and our elementary schools a better place.
• Caroline is one that does not follow the crowd. She is confident in her morals and values and making the right decisions.

Included in Beam’s nomination were:

• Lily participated in two community races for autism. She is very respectful of different perspectives and experiences and wants to understand others so she can learn.
• Lily always looks at the other side of the issue and wants to do right. She considers others’ reasons for making decisions even if the decision is different from hers.
• Lily offers to partner with others who feel left out. She cares for others and helps them with their work once she finishes hers.