“I found my passion then and just really wanted to continue to do something about it,” she said.
Last year, Smith became a client for The University of Alabama’s upper-level graphic design class. The students in the class were all assigned the same project – to design a license plate that promoted anti-bullying. Smith was the last client for the class, so it was a final project of sorts for ART 414.
Tori Roper, a recent UA graduate, designed the plate Smith chose as the winner. On the left side of the license plate, in front of the numbers, lies a dark-blue ribbon curled into the shape of a heart. Smith and Roper explained that the dark-blue ribbon is a symbol that represents the anti-bullying movement, while the heart represents love.
“There is a lot of bullying in the world today, and I think that if people were more loving toward each other, there wouldn’t be so much,” Roper said. “That’s why a heart is the perfect symbol for bullying awareness.”
The school year has ended and she has graduated, but Roper remains in contact with Baylee’s mother in order to see how the project is progressing.
Even though a design has been selected, Smith still has a work to do. In order for the license plates to get printed, Smith must confirm 1000 orders in a 12-month deadline. Presale of the license plates starts on June 1 and they can be purchased on Smith’s official Facebook page, “Anti-Bullying License Plate for Alabama – Baylee Smith.” The proceeds from the sales of the license plates will benefit Eagles’ Wings of Tuscaloosa, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping adults with mild to moderate disabilities.
