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A high school sophmore says she's the butt of a bad joke.

Whitney Kropp says she was suprised to find out she'd been selected by other students to be on the school's homecoming court. That surprise then turned to horror.

Here's how Kropp, and the rest of the community, is responding.

16-year-old Whitney Kropp has learned firsthand the highs and the lows of high school. She never considered herself part of the "in" crowd. So she was surprised to find students had voted her to the homecoming court.

"I never thought I would be part of it because really it's for the popular people," Kropp says.

But the sophomore's happiness turned to humiliation when some students told her it was cruel joke.

"Some kids thought it would be funny to put me in there as a joke, to make fun of me. It hurt," she adds.

Whitney says a few years back she was the target of bullies.

"One year they kicked me in the shins with steel toed shoes because I was different, so when this happened, it brought painful memories. I felt I wasn't worthy. Why be part if I'm going to be a part of this community, this world, to be tossed around like basically a piece of trash?"

Kropp's mom told her one way to get back at the bullies was to turn the tables... to persevere, and go to the dance.

Many in this rural northern Michigan town agreed, and they came together. A local hairdresser is doing her hair for free, and her gown has been donated.

Student Jade Cameron, who attends a different school, couldn't believe what Whitney has endured.

"It's horrible. It just makes me mad because it's not fair. You don't do that," she says.

Support Whitney Kropp on Facebook has gotten tens of thousands of likes with its stop bullying message.

"I'm exicted to go because I can prove everyone wrong. I'm not this joke. With you guys doing it, it made me stronger," Whitney says.