AAA is proud to recognize and award Leyla Marie Bouadou from River Eves Elementary School in Roswell, Georgia, with the AAA School Safety Patroller of the Year Award. Only one deserving patrol member, per state, in The Auto Club Group’s territory, wins the annual award.

The AAA School Safety Patroller of the Year Award recognizes the patroller who best exemplifies leadership qualities, good citizenship, school involvement, and application of safety skills vital to effectively and responsibly wear the AAA School Safety Patrol™ badge. During the nomination process, students were carefully chosen by their teacher, principal, or school safety patrol coordinator and then judged based on their performance with leadership qualities, safety skills, school involvement, and citizenship. This year, one person was selected as the winner from their essay or video entry that described, “How participating in the AAA School Safety Patrol™ program helped them become a better leader."

AAA-The Auto Club Group presented Leyla with a certificate and sponsored an ice cream party at River Eves Elementary School on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

“Leyla has been an AAA School Safety Patroller for the past year and consistently exemplifies quality leadership skills. She has developed into an impressive leader who has earned the respect of students and staff. Leyla is extremely dedicated to the program, volunteers her time, and is an excellent student,” said Garrett Townsend, Georgia Public Affairs Director, AAA- The Auto Club Group.

The AAA School Safety Patrol program is the most extensive safety program in the world.

Since its inception in 1920, the AAA School Safety Patrol program has provided millions of schoolchildren with a safer environment and a broad spectrum of educational opportunities. More than 679,000 children participate yearly in over 35,000 schools throughout the country.

For over 100 years, AAA has sponsored the AAA School Safety Patrol program, which instills students with a sense of responsibility, leadership, and citizenship. AAA provides an array of equipment and materials, including electric-lime fluorescent belts, nickel-plated steel badges, and training for the AAA School Safety Patrollers. When properly uniformed and trained, they can assist their grade school classmates by ensuring their safety to and from school every day.

Safety and education groups worldwide have praised the program for reducing injuries and deaths among 5-to-14-year-olds, the age group most at risk for pedestrian injury. In addition to keeping students safe, the program teaches lifelong lessons of responsibility, leadership, and good citizenship. AAA aims to continue fostering this vital program, which develops tomorrow’s leaders today.

We also want to give a special mention to Sonny Carter Elementary School in Macon, Georgia, which was also selected as the Georgia 2024-2025 AAA Patrol of the Year!