Earlier this year, Rachel Rickettson undertook a research project in Mr. Jud Heck’s civics class.
A senior at Attica High School, Rachel chose to study pedestrian safety, specifically how increased traffic signage impacts pedestrian safety outcomes along roadways.
But instead of just submitting the project, taking her grade and moving on, Rachel decided she wanted to do more.
Using the results of her research as a jumping off point, Rachel approached the Wyoming County Highway Department about installing a bus stop sign for motorists passing by her home, which is situated on a steep, sharp bend in the town of Varysburg.
“Going down that corner and around that turn, there were no signs, no warnings or anything. In the winter, it gets super icy so people just slide right down the hill and around the corner and in the summer, there’s a lot of farm trucks that go around that corner and they can go very fast,” said Rachel. “So I just wanted to warn the drivers just to slow down but also to protect my siblings especially because they’re so young - I’ve got one brother in kindergarten, one in pre-k and my sister will be going into pre-k soon - they’re going to be out there waiting for the bus for years to come so I just wanted to keep them safe.”
Rachel’s efforts paid off this past spring when Highway Department personnel installed two bus stop signs - one as they approach Rachel’s home from the east, and one as they approach it from the northwest - to make motorists aware that a school bus may be picking up or dropping off children up ahead.
In addition to the signs, Rachel’s efforts also met all the requirements to earn the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness, which recognizes students who have “attained a high level of proficiency in terms of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic mindset, and civic experiences.”
Rachel will be the first Attica student to earn the prestigious honor when she accepts her diploma at graduation later this month.
“It was a great experience and I would definitely encourage students to do it in the future,” she said. “It gets your name out into the community, gets you interacting with people and it’s definitely made me more ambitious for my future and confident in my ability to tackle new things. As opposed to sitting back and waiting for someone else to do it, I feel like I can take the initiative and help address problems myself.”
To learn more about Rickettson's project and Seal of Civic Readiness reception, check out the video below.