In recognition of her dedication to traffic safety, community stewardship and leadership, Josie Ellis, an 8th-grade student at Hazel Wolf K-8 school in Seattle, was recently chosen for induction into the 2022 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame.
During her fourth year on the AAA School Safety Patrol at Hazel Wolf K-8, Ellis asked if she could mentor the fifth-grade students eligible to join the program for the first time. According to patrol advisor, Martha Levenson, Ellis’ outreach created the highest number of fifth grade patrol applications ever.
“Josie spoke about the benefits of doing patrol: serving community, making a larger contribution, connecting with kids you would not meet otherwise, developing teamwork, learning leadership skills and finding a voice in the community,” Levenson said. “She spoke wisely about her own development and what she has gotten from patrol.”
As soon as the fifth grade students joined patrol, Levenson said Ellis made herself 100 percent available to all of them — explaining how to wear the uniforms, demonstrating how to hold/use the flags, and answering questions by email.
“It is this kind of confidence, poise, support and generosity that makes Josie such a unique leader and mentor in her work with the safety patrol,” Levenson said. “Her contribution has been extraordinary in a year when things were a little shaky at the start.”
As a long-standing tradition, a panel of judges from AAA Washington, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission chooses ten top patrollers to be inducted into the AAA Washington School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame. Nominations require input from both the patroller and their advisor, including responses to a series of essay questions.
In addition to Ellis, this year’s list of inductees includes five other students from around Puget Sound, including Adi Davidson, Echo Creek Elementary in Shoreline.
