Hundreds Accept Rachel's Challenge

Hundreds of Cinnaminson students, parents, teachers and community members Thursday accepted Rachel’s Challenge.

The challenge is to start a chain reaction.

Rachel’s Challenge is a nonprofit organization started by the family of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine shootings.

Shane Micheel, presenter, —one to students, one to students and one open to the public—to tell Rachel’s story and share her challenge.

The challenge has five parts—eliminate prejudice, dare to dream, choose your influences, kind words and start a chain reaction.

“It had a lot of impact,” said Kim Peirce, a Cinnaminson mom who wanted to see the program with her husband Todd after learning about it at her high school son’s back to school night. “I never knew her story. I found it amazing the impact she had.”

Micheel’s presentation focused on Rachel’s life, her lasting legacy and the diaries she left behind.

One of those diaries was in her backpack at school and suffered a bullet hole as it passed through her body and through her bag. She was outside the school that day having lunch when she was shot and killed.

One of Rachel’s heroes was Anne Frank and Frank’s diary was found by her bedside the day she died. Both wrote of kindness and compassion. It is that kindness and compassion that prompted hundreds of students today to accept Rachel’s challenge.

Micheel led a training session to 150 students (nearly 300 initially signed up) to give and hear ideas on how to start a Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club in the high school.

“The kids were blown away all day long,” Cinnaminson High School Principal Darlene Llewellyn said.

The students—from all grade levels—came up with over a dozen ideas on how to spread Rachel’s message through the school such as enacting a new-student welcome group and events during Pride Day.

Llewellyn said the students were comfortable with Micheel after he shared his own personal stories with the training session group.

“I had a blast,” Micheel said. “They had some awesome ideas. Their amount of passion—I saw it so quickly.”

Micheel is originally from Santa Barbara and recently graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He became involved with Rachel’s Challenge more than a year ago.

“This wasn’t what I expected to do,” he said. “I heard this presentation and I was rocked by it. And I thought, ‘What can I do?’”

Next week after school, Rachel’s Challenge members will meet to talk about how they can start a chain reaction like Rachel did. During Thursday’s presentation, Micheel told stories of Rachel’s kindness to others.

A new girl in school, Amber, was sitting by herself at the lunch table. Rachel noticed and asked her to join her table. The girl politely—but hesitantly—declined.

But, that wasn’t enough for Rachel.

She went back to her table, told all her friends to pick up their stuff. They were moving to sit with Amber.

“Her story changed my life,” Micheel said.

Not long before her death, Rachel wrote an essay called, “My Ethics, My Codes of Life.” In that essay, she wrote, “Compaassion is the greatest form of  love humans have to offer.”

She ended her essay with, “I know that my codes of life may be different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion, and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself, and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.”

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To read more about Rachel’s Challenge, visit www.rachelschallenge.org. Today, community members and students were encouraged to leave their thoughts on Facebook. Leave your comments about the presentation in our comments section. Here are some excerpts from the Rachel’s Challenge Facebook page:

Liz Grande
Thank you for coming to our school~ Cinnaminson, NJ !!! Your presentation was beyond admirable. My son saw the afternoon presentation and HAD to return to see it again in the evening. He was soo moved by the messages. The inspiration that this young girl is speading around the word is immence..... Keep it going !! Rest in peace and god bless your beautiful family for all their hard work ♥ 

Michaela Plunkett
Shane, I never got a chance to come personally speak to you today at Cinnaminson High School but I wish I did. I attentively watched the assembly today, manipulated my way into the FOR training and returned for the parent presentation with my mother. I know the presentation was about Rachel, and I was moved to say the least by everything she stood for., by everything she was able to accomplish in her short life. I never really had a role model but I believe she is someone worth looking up to. I wish I could be at least a fraction of what she was. If Rachel were here today I'd thank her. I would thank her for opening my eyes and giving me hope. But she isn't, so instead I am going to thank you.

Megan Gaffney
rachel's story changed my life and my outlook on things. it gave me hope for our generation and i really think it helped our school realize that we need to make a change. after the assembly, cinnaminson high school seemed to change in a matter of minutes. throughout the remainder of the school day, i noticed more people looking out for one another. i was so touched and moved by the presentation today. although i was crying for most of the assembly, shane's humor helped me out a lot. shane, you did an amazing job and it was so great talking to you today after the FOR training and after the 7:00 presentation. you have definitely helped change our school and i thank you so much for your beautiful telling of rachel's story. rest in peace rachel joy ♥

Olivia D'Aiutolo
After experiencing the assembly at Cinnaminson High School today, I know that Rachel has changed my outlook on life completely. However, I'd also like to thank Shane, our speaker. He had me smiling through my tears, and he told Rachel's story in a beautiful way. Shane got the story across and made it hit hard, which is exactly what we all needed. I firmly accept Rachel's challenge. Thank you so much, Shane :)

Andrew Edward Dorosz
Shane thank you soo much more coming to cinnaminson high school and informing us about rachels challenge i 100% accept the challenge and thanks to u shane you made my view of life a lot different