FORT EDWARDS

Miss New York State, Christina Ellington, dropped by at Fort Edwards High in January, 2005, and proved quite a hit. Her appearance was part of the school's CC! program, and she charmed students with a role-playing activity.

"It's mainly to think about the choices you make in your life, and have a lot to do with what kind of character you are," she said, according to Capital News 9. "It doesn't matter what you have on paper. As a straight-A student, even. It's about what kind of choices you make and this is the person you develop."

"She talked about trust and friendship," said tenth-grader Shannon Drake. "And she was completely right about how high school is."

Ninth grader Damian Tyler said, "Treat people with respect. And don't try to be someone you're not. Be yourself."

Principal John Godfrey said, "I thought she was excellent with the students. I thought she got a lot of participation that she wanted. And not only having some fun but also giving a positive message that we do respect each other, that we do try to help each other."