LEWISTON — During her sophomore year, Hope Rubito had finally had enough of public school.

She had faced bullying and traumatic experiences since she moved to Lewiston from Gray in fifth grade. In eighth grade, she attempted suicide.

Now, Rubito is a home-schooled junior and is not shying away from talking about the bullying she has faced.

This week, she and the rest of the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council will call attention to the issue during a panel discussion at Geiger Elementary School. The gathering, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, is free and open to the public.

Rubito and other council members will share their personal experiences with bullying, along with several adults and Miss Maine, Carolyn Brady.

It will also give the public a chance to weigh in on the issue.

Todd Finn, Lewiston superintendent of schools, is also expected to speak on what the district is doing to reduce bullying. Earlier this month, the School Committee voted to expand its policy on bullying to possibly include restorative justice, which officials said is an attempt at prevention rather than being reactive.

“We want to draw attention to how bullying can affect a person, not just how you can prevent it and how positivity can change the light on it,” Rubito said. “It’s not just kids being kids, which is what a lot of parents think it is. It’s a lot more than that.”

Rubito said when she was younger she was picked on for her weight. Going into middle school, it got worse. It was more physical bullying at school with cyberbullying online.

When Rubito was in eighth grade, a seventh-grader at the middle school committed suicide.

That year, fellow students Rubito didn’t know would come up to her in the hallway and say things like, “You’re fat,” or “No one is ever going to love you.” She attempted suicide shortly after.

Looking back, Rubito refers to a former middle school teacher as her hero. The teacher called her parents to talk about Rubito’s attitude and performance in school.

“Even just a phone call home, it really does help,” Rubito said. “All that bullying, it just sticks with you.”

The youth council has historically tackled image issues in Lewiston, hosting events that showcase the positives the city has to offer. Last year, the council shifted its focus toward bullying, but with a positive spin.

In April 2019, the youth council spearheaded a Lock in Your Kindness project that gathered people of all ages to come up with positive notes, which were attached to rows and rows of lockers at the high school.

Rubito said that while that initiative was a success, she and other council members wanted to delve deeper into the long-term impacts of bullying.

Dottie Perham-Whittier, Lewiston’s community relations coordinator and LYAC adviser, will be among the panelists Friday. She finds it difficult to forget her own experiences as a student.

She said planning the event with students has been “eye-opening and emotional.”

“To continue their recent focus on positivity — whether neighbor to neighbor or promoting Lewiston’s many offerings — LYAC felt more work needed to be done around the harmful realities of bullying,” she said.

“The concept of this event occurred when several of them shared their own stories of being bullied. As such, they wanted to connect with others to build awareness and help bullyproof Lewiston.”

She said during the planning, students identified with one another’s experiences.

“As always,” she said, “LYAC’s innovation and creativity blew me away.”

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