Rachel's Challenge

Students walking through the halls at Rawlins High School come from several different backgrounds. Many of our students work after school. There is a large population of students that are involved in extra-curricular activities. All in all, each student is part of the Rawlins High School vision, which is to educate students to be productive citizens of their community and country. In order to enhance this effort, students and teachers from Rawlins High School and the Cooperative High School, tapped into the mindset and life of Rachel Scott. We invited Rachel’s Challenge to come into our schools and community on January 27, 2009. Their response was heard by many.
Rachel Scott was a unique person in character and example. She went out of her way to eliminate prejudice and create an atmosphere of kindness. Her life ended abruptly on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, in Columbine, Colorado. As horrific as that day was, her family and friends have made a tremendous effort to remember and reinforce what she did during her life. Listening to her story in a series of assemblies makes me think that we have students similar to her that walk our halls each day. There are students that have dreams and goals. We have students that choose their influences with careful gestures of acceptance. Rachel’s story reminds us that we can always let our light shine brighter.
Over the past week I have heard students discussing their feelings and thoughts toward the assembly presentation of Rachel’s Challenge. One student expressed that the presentation reminded her that she liked who she was before she became acquainted with another individual and that she wanted to change back to who she was. She recognized a flaw in her character and realized that her new self was not her best self. This individual is a wonderful role model for our students and the change she decided to make in herself will definitely start a chain reaction of kindness among other individuals.
Rachel wrote about a theory she had. She stated that if a person shows compassion, it will start a chain reaction of kindness. A chain reaction of kindness or goodness will eventually involve an immeasurable amount of people, entities, and businesses. But first, the chain reaction must start with you, the individual. A random act of kindness has the potential to lift a discouraged head, to heal a broken heart, and to cheer a sad countenance. I believe each person has a responsibility to be kind to others.
We should be kind to everyone we come in contact with, but we should be exceptionally kind to our parents, siblings, children and spouse. Family is the basic unit of society. Families must endure the trials of life, if this is not true, what will happen to our society? I believe each parent, brother, sister, child, spouse, and friend deserves acts of kindness from the same. The old saying of do unto others as you would have them do unto you, stands true today.