In Littleton, Colorado at 11:19 a.m. on April 20, 1999, two gunmen began shooting classmates at Columbine High School. A girl sat outside the front doors eating lunch with her friend on the warm spring day. She was the first of 13 people who lost her life in this deadly shooting. Her name was Rachel Joy Scott, and although she was never able to live all of her dreams, her legacy continues to influence students around the world.

During Bruin Block on Dec. 10, all high school students shuffled into the gym for an assembly. The lights were dimmed, and students filled the bleachers and the gym floor to listen to Rachel’s Challenge.

According to RachelsChallenge.org, “Rachel’s Challenge was started by Rachel’s dad and stepmom, Darrell and Sandy Scott, when they realized that the writings and drawings Rachel left not only had an impact on her friends and classmates, but also resonated with students around the world. Although Rachel was a typical teenager who even wrote about her ‘ups and downs,’ she had a passion and conviction that she would someday change the world. The Scott family knew her story and passion had to be told to inspire others to make their world a better place.”

The presentation was a combination of videos and live presentation from the speaker, Toy Arnold. Arnold told the story of Rachel and her family from before and after the shooting, explaining both the energy Rachel shared with those around her during her short life and the legacy she has left behind through her journals.

“[I think it related to Compassion Week] because it was really emotional, so it made people realize what was actually going on,” freshman Ramsha Baig said. “[We need to] stop bullying because it’s a serious thing.”

Although the focus of the story was about the impact Rachel had on the people around her, the students and faculty listened to the presentation as part of the Compassion in Action Week. The purpose of her presentation was to remind students how easy it is to show a little bit of compassion that will influence others to do the same.

“I thought [the presentation] was really good and deep,” sophomore Connor Hudson said. “I think it did a pretty good job of getting below the skin for people.”

The presentation ended with a video montage of Rachel’s life, from baby videos to school projects to the last picture taken of her at her prom the weekend before. Arnold took this opportunity to remind the gym full of students and faculty to show compassion because sometimes its hard to tell how a person is truly feeling.

“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same,” Scott stated in her journal. “People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”