TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, COUNSELORS
UBU Residency 5th Graders:
- Hey Mr. David, thanks for telling me about this. The depression I used to have is slowly going away. I'm still trying to love myself but at least I love myself at least a little bit.
- I like making music and making songs. My treasure chest is in my heart.
- Mr. David, I understand resilience better. Thank you!
- Dear Mr. David, I like it that you showed me what is my purpose in life.
- I like when we talked about the treasure chest words and played the imagination game.
- I like how we all made a song!
- I enjoyed UBU. I learned all the treasure chest words, hope resilience, self-compassion, empathy and... the treasure is in your heart.
- I really liked the music that we wrote.
- Dear Mr. David, I enjoyed learning the treasure chest words. Thanks to you I have a better understanding of the four words. You also helped me dig up the treasure chest. Thank you for everything you've done for us.
- Thank you for teaching great things.
UBU Residency Middle School Students
- Thank you so much Mr. David for coming to our school and telling your story to us. I really appreciate how much you have inspired me this week and I hope that we will meet again. ... PS: I have also been depressed and felt like there is no point to life. With you inspiring me, I feel that there is.
- This has certainly been a life-changing class. You have taught not only me but everyone else what it is to love yourself and to care about one another. This is the age where we start learning and going through hard times, and this class has helped us to be resilient. Thank you for everything.
- Something I learned this week is that we don't have to change to fit in.
- You have taught me to be nice and to never doubt myself and to always be nice to myself. The song we made was pretty cool and how we made it in one week and all of us did it!
- Thank you for being here for us and I just wanted to thank you so much.
- The first time I heard you sing I got really happy.
UBU Residency High School Students
- The UBU suicide prevention program is much more than a suicide prevention program. It is a celebration of life!
- It's a hopeful message!
- I loved being able to contribute to something bigger than I am. You’re very inspirational David.
- I found that David’s ability to include everyone was very effective
- I found the collaborative aspect to be the most fun and it was cool to see various ideas bounce around
- You were very positive and open to new ideas.
- The level of interaction and creativity. It allowed a lot of people to open up
Teachers, Admin, Counselors, Parents
High School Counselor: I really love what you do. You are so great with the kids and help them bring out so much in themselves. Truly inspiring. Thank you for being you and bringing this project to life.
6th Grade Teacher: UBU was a wonderful experience for my students. It allowed them to open up about the Treasure Chest Words (Hope, Resilience, Self-Compassion, Empathy), which as a whole they found important. My class chose self-compassion. After the strange year we had and the continued struggles with COVID and its regulations, my students chose to discuss how to be compassionate with themselves. It was Brilliant! I'd be more than happy to have Mr. David return for future classes!
Special Needs Teacher: My students had an excellent experience. All of my students are special needs, David was willing to adjust his lesson to fit the needs of the group.
UBU High School Principal: This is perfect. So many of our kids feel like they don't have a voice. To see our students up there was a once in a lifetime (experience). Thank you for generously giving your time and expertise to conduct the workshop and telling your story. Our students benefited greatly.
UBU High School Student's Mother: Being a student in David Simmons' Songwriting Class and UBU Residency has been a huge part of my daughter's finding strength and confidence within herself after her 2018 suicide attempt. I'm beyond thankful.
Gail K. (Parent): I’m not sure what you said to (my son) today but, he's been on cloud nine all night and feels really good about himself. Positive reinforcements that come from respected mentors resonate in a child’s life forever! Thank you so much.
