New Crook County middle schooler’s sign spreads smiles, encouraging all to ‘have a nice day’

'It only takes one person to change the world'

(Update: Adding video, comments from Prineville boy, mom)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Ben Seely is a newly arrived seventh-grader at Crook County Middle School, spreading smiles with a simple message: a sign saying, “Have a nice day.”

For the past few weeks, he’s carried this homemade sign with him every day on his bike rides to and from school.

Ben and his family moved to Prineville from the Portland area about a month ago.

He said he got bored while waiting for his sister to finish school, and thought he might as well brighten other people’s day.

“If I’m just sitting here scrolling through Instagram on my phone, that doesn’t make me a productive member of society,” Ben said Thursday.

His mom, Amanda, said he's always been big-hearted and profound for his age, but this caught her off-guard.

“When he did that, it was kind of a shock, because that’s pretty bold, you know?” Amanda said. “We just moved here. I thought he’d kind of get his bearings more, but he really jumped in and just wants to make everyone smile.”

Amanda was a single mom for a long time, and said her kids haven’t always had it easy. 

NewsChannel 21 asked Amanda what it means to her to see her kid act selflessly. 

“It makes me feel like I’m doing something right,” Amanda said with a smile. 

Ben now makes a game out of his new morning routine, keeping stats of what reactions he sees from those driving by. 

“Like for example there was one time I got like 21 honks, and I got like 17 smiles and 14 waves, you know?” Ben said. “I just count them -- that's like my game.”

While he’s now made a name for himself in Prineville, the mission is and always will be to make the world a better place.

“It only takes one person to change the world,” Ben said.