Cunningham, a senior at Miami Valley Schools and president of the Bringing Awareness to Students (BATS) student-led youth prevention group of Springfield, of which she is an original member, said she learned of the nomination in passing. The group’s adult advisor, Beth Dixon, nominated her.
“It’s so amazing to see something like prevention is awarded and shows the hard work done,” Cunningham said. “BATS has shaped me into who I am and that what I’m doing matters.”
The award was presented by OPPA executive director Jim Ryan, which made the honor more special. She has been a featured speaker at several such events in the past and was again in 2025.
“The future of our community is bright as long as we have young leaders like Mary to guide us,” Dixon said.
Cunningham recently committed to attend college at Washington University in St. Louis after high school graduation in the PreLaw program, but plans to continue her passion for prevention work there and leave BATS in a good place, as her presidential predecessor and BATS founder Addie Powell had after her graduation in 2025.
“When you care about something, you want to give it your all. I want to be someone who can leave a legacy of sustainability, knowing I’ve helped establish young leaders to come after me,” she said.
There’s still plenty for Cunningham to do with BATS, which boasts around 50 area middle and high school students. They are working on a series of annual PSA announcements to air on Yellow Springs radio station WYSO.
In March, BATS will present its third film festival with the theme Premiere the Powerful, consisting of student-made short videos on March 9 at the State Theater. The public is invited to attend.
For more information on BATS, go to www.facebook.com/BringingAwarenessToStudents/.
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