NATCHEZ — For Clara Wimberly, taking a stand for what is right is a matter of faith.

The Natchez High School senior leads by example, NHS Assistant Principal Shannon Doughty said, and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. While some 17-year-olds may be afraid to step forward and speak out, Doughty said, that does not deter Wimberly.

“If you’re not doing right, she is going to encourage you to do the right thing, and she is not afraid to step forward,” Doughty said. “She demonstrates the characteristics of a true leader.”

Wimberly said it all goes back to her faith.

“For me, I know what I feel is right because of my faith, because God has my back,” she said. “It might not be easy for a while after I make a stand, but it all works out in the end, and it’s all for the greater good.”

Wimberly says she, like many high school students, sometimes fears judgment from her peers.

“I have to remind myself that you can’t be happy without being your true self,” Wimberly said. “Whether that means not denying your faith in front of people who question you about it, or for me, I don’t go to parties. I don’t drink or smoke, because I don’t feel like it’s something for people my age to be doing.”

Doughty works closely with Wimberly for an anti-bullying council comprised of representatives from Natchez High, Trinity Episcopal Day School, Cathedral School and Adams County Christian School.

The council addresses bullying in schools, and each school also has an anti-bullying team, charged with keeping an eye out for bullying in their schools.

The council members hear stories from local children who have been bullied, and Doughty said Wimberly has become someone who those who have been bullied trust to share their experiences.

“They really seem to trust her, and she is easy to go to and talk to for them,” Doughty said.

“The thing that makes her an everyday hero to me is that it doesn’t matter where she is or who she is around, she is going to treat everyone the same. You don’t find that in a lot in teenagers.”

Wimberly has found the willingness and courage to shine a light on her faith at Jefferson Street United Methodist as well as Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman.

Jefferson Street’s youth diretor, Judge John Hudson, said Wimberly, who was president of the youth group last year, is committed to her church and in tune with her faith.

“(She has) a willingness to give herself in service of others and really cares about other people,” Hudson said.

Camp Wesley Pines has been a place Wimberly said she has been able to grow and learn about her faith.

Surrounded by people who she didn’t know from all over the state, Wimberly said she was able to open up and talk frankly about her faith at Camp Wesley Pines during a retreat in middle school.

Through camp retreats and spending summers as a counselor-in-training, Wimberly said she has been able to learn about herself and her faith.

“By learning more about my faith, I was about to grow more in it,” she said. “And as I’ve grown more and more, I’ve wanted to share it with more and more people.”

Wimberly plans to attend Mississippi State University after graduation to study elementary education and wants to eventually teach kindergarten.

Wimberly is the daughter of Doug and Nellie Wimberly.