Sultan teen spreads positive messages at high school campus

SULTAN — Cailee Landis, 18, is spending her winter break plastering the walls of Sultan High School with posters that have quotes, art and messages aimed at uplifting moods.

The student body vice president said she noticed her classmates seem more negative than usual lately and hopes to help students take on the new year with a new attitude.

“It’s like there’s a big, black cloud over our school,” Landis said. “I hate to say it, but it’s kind of a downer.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Teens at Sultan High faced tragedy in 2015. They’re mourning the loss of Madison Whiddon, a 17-year-old student who died in a car accident on U.S. 2 in November.

They’ve also been through floods and school lockdowns.

That’s why Landis wanted to infuse some positive energy into her school.

“It’s such a better life when you make a good vibe,” she said.

She’s already made and collected more than 100 posters. She hopes to double that number before she’s finished with the project.

Her church youth group, teachers, parents, business owners and students have pitched in to help her reach her goal.

“It’s cool to see the whole community working together,” Landis said.

She is encouraging her classmates to keep coming up with creative posters to go along with hers. They can be any color or size, featuring art, words or both.

There’s only one rule, “no negativity — just positivity,” she said.

Principal Tami Nesting said she found out about the poster project at a parent meeting focused on setting a course to help students through the tough times.

“The concept of chiaroscuro was well-known in the world of the Italian Renaissance painter, where the lightest light was put next to the darkest dark. Cailee is offering us a chiaroscuro moment,” she wrote in an email.

Landis credits her Christian faith and inspirational quotes she sees on social media with helping her keep an optimistic outlook. She hopes the posters will be the first of many projects she takes on to uplift others.

“I really want to change the world in a positive way,” she said.

Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

City of Everett Engineer Tom Hood, left, and City of Everett Engineer and Project Manager Dan Enrico, right, talks about the current Edgewater Bridge demolition on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How do you get rid of a bridge? Everett engineers can explain.

Workers began dismantling the old Edgewater Bridge on May 2. The process could take one to two months, city engineers said.

Smoke from the Bolt Creek fire silhouettes a mountain ridge and trees just outside of Index on Sept. 12, 2022. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County will host two wildfire-preparedness meetings in May

Meetings will allow community members to learn wildfire mitigation strategies and connect with a variety of local and state agencies.

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Cal Brennan, 1, sits inside of a helicopter during the Paine Field Community Day on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Children explore world of aviation at Everett airport

The second annual Paine Field Community Day gave children the chance to see helicopters, airplanes and fire engines up close.

A person walks past Laura Haddad’s “Cloud” sculpture before boarding a Link car on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in SeaTac, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sound Transit seeks input on Everett bike, pedestrian improvements

The transit agency is looking for feedback about infrastructure improvements around new light rail stations.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Dani Mundell, the athletic director at Everett Public Schools, at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett Public Schools to launch girls flag football as varsity sport

The first season will take place in the 2025-26 school year during the winter.

A “SAVE WETLANDS” poster is visible under an seat during a public hearing about Critical Area Regulations Update on ordinance 24-097 on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Council passes controversial critical habitat ordinance

People testified for nearly two hours, with most speaking in opposition to the new Critical Areas Regulation.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.