Frederick High School hopes to connect with ‘positive chain reaction’

    Rachel Scott believed her life would go on after she died.
    And after hearing Scott’s message Oct. 19, the students at Frederick High School would agree.

Image courtesy of RachelsChallenge.org

Rachel Scott was the first person shot at Columbine High School April 20, 1999, but her message lives on through her mission to start a positive chain reaction of kindness in the world.

    Scott, who was the first victim of the Columbine massacre, wrote extensively in journals about the need to create a positive chain reaction of kindness in the world, and this message became the foundation for Rachel’s Challenge, a non-profit organization working to create triumph from the tragedy of Columbine.
    During several assemblies, FHS students heard from Mike Hills, a speaker for Rachel’s Challenge who said Scott was inspired by the writings of Anne Frank.
    “Rachel was kind to friends, but she was also kind to the people she had never met before,” Hills said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet her family, and I’m honored today to be sharing her message.”
    Her message, Hill said, had five parts: to look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness, and start a chain reaction.
    Hill read a quote from Scott, “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.”
    The event was brought to the school through the efforts of FHS sophomore Rebecca Vincent, who said she was inspired by the message when she heard about it a year ago.
    “It just moves me because it’s so important to me to make the world a better place in everything I do,” Vincent said. “And I feel like I have a lot of potential in me also because I know about kindness and making sure that everybody knows how big it is to be connected to everybody in the world. Random acts of kindness have an impact every day. It’s amazing how much impact there is to just reach out and say hi to somebody, or to reach out to someone and sit with them during lunch.”
    Vincent helped raise $3,500 to bring the Rachel’s Challenge event to FHS, and she said Principal Pete Vargas stepped in to cover the rest of the expense.
    Students will now work toward making a chain linked with paper loops inscribed with the description of a single kind act.
    “I’d like the chain to stretch the distance between the old high school and the new one,” Vincent said. “We have the opportunity to make a real impact here and across the world.”
    FHS counselor Adam Kohn said Vincent’s efforts to bring the message of Rachel Scott to her fellow students will help improve an already positive culture at the school.
    “The fun part of it was then I was approached to try to communicate with Rachel’s Challenge to try and get them here, while at the same time Becca was working on doing the fund raising,” Kohn said. “We brought it all together to see what we could do at this school to create a safe and welcoming climate in our building. But something I would say about this building, it already has a really positive climate, and what we see at a school is that there should never be an opportunity missed to continue improving on what’s already great.”
    Organizers from Rachel’s Challenge plan on checking up next year on the projects FHS gets started.
    To learn more about Rachel’s Challenge, visit www.rachelschallenge.org.

Contact Ben Wiebesiek at 303-659-2522, ext. 206, or email bwiebesiek@metrowestnewspapers.com.