You probably read a little about Katelynne Cox in “The Buzz” on page 39 of the April 2011 issue of ec. Now, get to know her a little better!
Name: Katelynne Cox
Age: 16
Album: One Girl (her first album; it released in March) on Red Hammer Records
The interesting thing about Katelynne is that as much as she has going for her, she has been the victim of bullying. Katelynne was forced to change schools multiple times throughout her junior high and high school years because the bullying grew so severe. Here are some thoughts Katelynne shared with us about that experience:
Broken, hated, trash, worthless, and a nobody, where just some of the words to describe how bullies made me feel. Mock, shun, humiliate, grab and curse, where only some of the things they did to me, and adults just looked the other way. Since I was a pre-teen, I have been bullied beyond what I thought was possible from my peers. As a child I dreamed of the fantasy life: being a rock star and friends with everyone. But reality hit hard when I only had one friend in high school. I may not have been beaten to a pulp, but I did face many challenges that I couldn’t handle on my own. For example, my sophomore year I was grabbed by two large guys, pinned against a wall and then sprayed with an entire bottle of cologne. I was too embarrassed to call my dad, and I didn’t want to be labeled a “snitch,” so I walked around the rest of the day reeking of Tag. There was another time, while working on a project outside, that a classmate put a ton of berries in my hood without me knowing. When I took the sweater off in class, berries poured all over the floor, and I had to crawl and pick them up while my classmates looked on, laughed, and whispered names. I even got sent home from school one time for wearing a suit—my peers thought I was trying to act as if I were “better” than them. While these events may have made me cry in the bathroom stall, nothing felt worse than the blocked call, voicemails, and form-spring messages. I was called names that I had to look up, and the definitions made me sob. Why would anyone say that? What have I done to deserve this? Who is saying these things? I hope that I can reach out to teens facing the same troubles I have had and help them cope in more positive ways than I did.
Want to check out Katelynne’s music? We’ve got a free MP3 of her single “One Girl” to give away. If you’re one of the first 15 people to comment on this post, a free MP3 is headed your way!
THanks for your music … i really dig the opportunity for my daughters to have some great music. Keep bringing it.
Hola,
You are not alone, people from different parts of the world have faced what you passed through directly or indirectly, but remember that Jesus loves you, He knows your name, that is the only thing that matters. Mark these words, those who hate you and call you names will come to rejoice with you and love you in future. Live is in stages, no condition is permanent. The more we live, the more we learn.
I can relate to being called names I didn’t know. I was called gay, repeatedly, when I was ten. I had no clue what it meant, but when I realized what they had said a couple years later, it felt really bad. I also have a really good friend who’s been verbally abused alot too. She’s had a really rough time of it. I hope you can be an encouragement to her and others.
Can’t wait to hear!
Excited to here her and encouraged by her backstory….
Love this! I’ve got to learn more about her.
wow…she is such an insperational story.(sorry on spelling)Its these people that remind me that my small bulling that i can endure all things with god who strenghtens me.
That’s cool that she’s so young and singing!
This is such an encouragement. Thank you EC and Katelynne Cox for letting God use you!
Thanks for your comments! If you’ve commented previously, we just sent your mp3 your way. Enjoy!
We’ve only got 6 more MP3s to give away!
Great story
inspiring story!!
I’m homeschooled so people think I don’t get bullied but they’re wrong.The bullying I’ve been through was different but made me feel the same way and through it God’s opened doors to help younger girls I know to stand firm with their bullying. It’s awesome that you want to help people who’re going through same or similar circumstances. God Bless You.
I am excited for her. I hope she grows in the lord and does it all for him. You go girl!!
My daughter suffered like you and i could not get help from staff because they were apart of it. Be strong God has great plans for you and will use the past to help you in future. Praying for you, young girls need help.