Listen to Lady Gaga -- Be Kind, Stop Bullying

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, remembers when she was bullied in high school. She returned from gym class and discovered profanity scrawled across her locker. "It sticks with you and it hurts. And I went home and cried. I didn't want to go to school," she said. Her story isn't unique. On any given day, 160,000 students opt to stay home because they are afraid of being bullied.

Today, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Lady Gaga is officially launching her Born This Way Foundation, which will inspire bravery and kindness in young people. As one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, Lady Gaga has repeatedly encouraged her fans to "be someone that nurtures." With her new foundation, she is poised to do much more.

Bullying is pervasive in and out of school. Each year, 20% of high school students report being bullied -- physically, emotionally, or socially. The results can be tragic, as the recent suicides of Phoebe Prince, Jamey Rodemeyer and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover have taught us. To read the complete commentary, please visit CNN.com.