Sara Shepard to Discuss Bullying at Downingtown High School

Sara Shepard - Pretty Little Liars

DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Downingtown High School announced it will host a discussion on bullying with New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard on October 25.

Shepard, who is best known for her Pretty Little Liars series, is a Downingtown High School alumna (Class of ’95). She will be discussing the dangers of bullying and sharing details about her new book, Wait for Me. The event is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Downingtown High School auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

Shepard began her writing career as a journalist, but she soon found her niche in writing suspenseful novels for young adults. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide. In addition to the Pretty Little Liars series, Shepard is also the author of a number of other creative works including The Heiresses, The Perfectionists, and The Lying Game. She currently lives in Pittsburgh.

Zakiya Young, who recently starred as Faran’s mother, Corey, on season one of HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and fellow Downingtown High School alumnus (Class of (97) will be joining Shepard for the program. Young will be participating in the discussion virtually via Zoom.

“I was bullied from elementary school through high school, but I was good at covering it up. If my coming back and sharing my story will help someone who is being bullied or someone who might not even realize that what they’re doing isn’t just teasing but it’s actually bullying, then it’s all worth it,” Young said.

The event, which is being hosted by the school district’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include a guided discussion, a meet and greet, and a book signing with Shepard. Copies of her new book, Wait for Me, will be available for purchase ($15). Community members who are interested in attending must register in advance on Eventbrite.

National Bullying Prevention Month takes place each October and is an opportunity for schools and community organizations to raise awareness about the problem of bullying and to promote collaboration among students, parents, educators, and community members to prevent bullying. The goal of this event is to provide attendees with information about the signs of bullying and what they can do to support young people who may be experiencing it.

For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News.