By David Karas | Correspondent

Messages of acceptance and diversity can be vital for children as they grow and mature into adults. And for sixth, seventh and eighth graders in St. Benedict School, Holmdel, these messages were delivered by a special guest.

The students were treated Nov. 10 with a visit from Ron Bachman, a motivational speaker and Detroit native who travels the country as part of his anti-bullying campaign.

“Wow, we must be special,” one SBS eighth grader said after being told that Bachman traveled nearly 800 miles to visit the school as part of his “Walk This Way” tour.

Born in 1957, Bachman’s deformed legs were amputated at the age of four, a decision made by his parents in the hopes of giving their son a better life. As his peers learned to walk with their legs, he walked on his hands. Not long after the amputations, Bachman was fitted with artificial legs that he wore to school, but at the age of 18, he threw them away seeking to live life on his own terms.

Lori Ulrich, minister of evangelization and marketing for the St. Benedict Parish and School community, said Bachman’s presentation to the students focused on his life journey, “dealing with physical handicaps and verbal bullying throughout the schools years.”

“He made a decision to rise above it all and persevere to dedicate his life to teaching others, particularly middle school aged children, (about) the importance of being yourself, accepting others and being responsible in a world filled with technology that can be used as a bullying tool too easily and readily accessible,” she said in a press release.

His visit also included a powerful reminder to the eighth grade students that they serve as role models for their younger peers. “Everything you say, everything you do, is being watched by them,” Bachman said to the youngsters. “They look up to you.”

School leaders said the students were captivated by Bachman’s every word as he shared his story and passed along advice and words of wisdom to the students.

The students had the chance to individually meet Bachman and receive his autograph, his signature “RB” stamp and a “Walk This Way” bracelet, and of course, to pose for some photos. The school also received copies of Bachman’s new book, “Walk This Way: Life Lessons for Dealing with Bullies and Bad Times.”

“Ron Bachman had a tremendous impact on our middle school students,” said Noreen Potterton, the school’s social worker. “His message about overcoming adversity, loving ourselves and making the effort to reach out to each other really hit home. Many are reaching out to him through social media.”

For seventh-grader Dylan Oswick, Bachman’s message of acceptance and tolerance resonated. “I learned that you shouldn’t always judge people about how they look,” he said. “You should get to know them.”

Eighth-grade student Sammi Whelan came away with a similar message in mind: “I learned that no matter what people say about me or tell me about myself, I should just love myself and not care what other people think.”