Kylie Ray Daniels will be the first to tell you that being bullied isn’t fun.

Since the second grade, Kylie has been on the receiving end of teasing, taunting and even a punch or two from “mean kids” as she puts it.

However, what sets this 9 year old apart was her ability to turn her situation into something beneficial for the Sierra Heights Elementary School community by introducing buddy benches.

The buddy bench is a designated seating area where students who feel lonely or need a friend to play with can sit, letting others know they’d like to be included during playtime. It first caught national attention when a school in York, Pa., installed it to help kids seek camaraderie when needed.

Before Kylie had heard about the buddy bench system, she was a third grader who was suffering from constant bullying. Her parents began to notice the change in she was reluctant to attend school or hang out with friends.

“As a parent, it was really hard to see her going through this process,” said her mother, Veronica Daniels. “You always want to protect your kid as much as you can. You want to be there how to be a strong, little girl. But it was painful to see her not wanting to play with her friends or do her normal activities. It’s hard for a kid to express what they’re feeling.”

During a mother-daughter bonding time, Veronica approached Kylie and asked her what was wrong.

“I asked her to be honest, and that there was nothing to be ashamed of,” Veronica said. “I told her we’re her parents and that we’re always there to protect her.”

So Kylie recounted multiple stories about being bullied at school and how that was making her feeling lonely.

“It was very emotional because it was hard for her to express,” Veronica said. “She didn’t want to get anybody in trouble. She is very caring and cares about everybody’s feelings. So she kept it to herself.”

Soon, Kylie was connected with Joesph McPherson, a school counselor, who was able to teach her practical ways to respond to bullying.

But Kylie’s triumph over bullying started when her grandmother visited her last year.

“When my grandma was visiting from Arizona, I talked to her about the bullying and she told me about the buddy bench,” said Kylie. “I told my friends about it then they said it was a good idea and that I should talk to the counselor. Then I told [McPherson] about it and he helped me with it. He kept saying it was a good idea and that it can help stop bullying.”

So Kylie and McPherson joined forces to bring the buddy benches to life at Sierra Heights.

“I was in the mood to empower students at that point,” McPherson said, who now works at Cascade Elementary School. “So I said let’s do this. She was the ideas person and I was the grunt labor.”

The duo first presented the idea to the student council, then started a school-wide penny drive. By the end of the year, they collected around $915, enough to get two buddy benches.

Over the summer, the benches were installed near the playground. Kylie was even able to introduce and explain how the buddy benches work at an assembly in the beginning of this school year.

“I was really happy about it,” she said. ” I was really excited. Some people didn’t even know about [the benches]. But there’s been rumors about how people use it. I was surprised because some people who hardly knew about it was using it right. The thing I’m disappointed about is that some people still use it for resting, but that’s not what it’s really for. It’s a good idea because it’s an easier way to make new friends. I have made new friends. Almost everybody I’ve seen sitting on there, I always get them to play.”

Kylie said that some kids call her the “buddy bench girl,” but she’s learned to not take it seriously and respond with a “thank you.”

“It’s pretty neat to see where she was and where she is today,” said Veronica. “We went to her assembly where she introduced her benches to see how confident she was up there, speaking with no fear. She was really proud of her project, and we’re proud of her and what she’s done for herself and her peers. She chose to stand up in the her own way that she knew without any hesitation or fear.”

“Doing the benches, it’s great to see how caring she is about other people and other people’s feelings,” said Kylie’s dad, Todd Daniels. “She makes sure everybody around her is comfortable and happy and they aren’t neglected at school. Her ultimate goal is for the entire school to be friends and playing with each other.”