Rachel's Challenge preaches kindness as a way of life

Rachel Scott made three predictions for her life. She'd become a famous actress. She'd change the world, and she'd die at a young age.

Sadly, her last prediction came true.

Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting nine years ago in Littleton, Colo., a tragedy that claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher.

Scott's friends and family don't want her legacy to be how she died. Instead, they're spreading the 17-year-old's messages of compassion and kindness around the globe, trying to make her second vision become a reality.

These messages reached 2,000 students at Eisenhower High School last Thursday.

"Rachel always said 'you never know how far a little kindness can go,'" said Dave Gamache, a New York resident employed to teach others about Scott's life. "Those little acts of kindness change lives and save lives."

Gamache is one of about 30 people involved in "Rachel's Challenge," a nationwide school-outreach program designed to prevent school violence. The program is based on a series of journals and an essay Scott wrote, in which she expressed her belief that small acts of kindness and compassion will start a chain reaction.

Gamache began by sharing Scott's five main messages: look for the best in others, dare to dream, choose positive influences, express kindness and share with people how much you love and care about them.

He continued by training 60 students how to begin changing the culture at their school.
A community meeting involving parents followed Thursday night.

"There are kids who I know want to get involved, who want to do things," said Alyssa Patrick, a junior who helped bring the program to her school. "Seeing these kids here today who are passionate about it gives me real hope something can happen with it."

Patrick, who also serves as student editor for the Unleashed teen section of the Yakima Herald-Republic, took on "Rachel's Challenge" as her senior project. The presentations were funded by the Associated Student Body Association.

Her task now is to help organize students to act. Students who join the Friends of Rachel club are assigned different tasks, such as visiting and helping out new students, writing letters to people for their good deeds and collecting nonperishable goods and eye glasses to donate to charitable organizations.

By working together, students at the training session said they're confident wonderful things will happen.

"It's definitely an incredibly inspiring experience," said Erin Brassington, a junior at Eisenhower. "I now have a lot more hope and encouragement that I can make a difference."

Johnny Wilson agrees. He moved to Yakima a year and a half ago from Georgia, and remembers how lonely and isolated he felt when he first arrived at Eisenhower. That changed when a girl befriended him on his third day at school.

"If I could be that person for someone else, that would make me so happy," Wilson, a junior, said. "I'm really glad this came. I'm so pumped to be in this club."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.