SONORA, TX – Sonora ISD 5th grader Wayden Dillard has been named the Kindest Kid in America, a national honor that recognizes students who lead by example in promoting kindness. The announcement came as motivational speaker Jessie Clark-Funk and her business partner, Carrie Davis, visited Sonora schools to kick off the 2025-26 school year.
Clark-Funk, director of the nonprofit Think Kindness, encouraged Sonora Secondary students to think about the legacies they want to leave behind and challenged them to choose a charity and imagine how they would impact it with one million dollars. She closed the session with a performance of “I Was Here” by Beyoncé.
Sonora 5th grader Wayden Dillard is honored as the Kindest Kid in America during a school assembly on Aug. 21, 2025.
At Sonora Elementary, Clark-Funk stressed that kindness is one of the most powerful forces in the world and reminded students that love and compassion can break cycles of harm. She also highlighted the importance of laughter and sang “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from the Trolls soundtrack.
During the visit, Davis read her children’s book Wayden Never Forgets Kindness, written about Dillard, bringing many to tears. Students, teachers, and community members celebrated the recognition, which school leaders called a "heartfelt and fabulous experience."
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