Rachel's Challenge?

 "We exist to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion". According to http://www.rachelschallenge.org/LearnMore/OurMission.php, this was Rachel's challenge. She wanted to make a difference & start a chain reaction. Rachel Joy Scott (August 5, 1981 – April 20, 1999) was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre, which claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher, along with the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history. In her essay that she wrote months before her death (My Ethics, My Codes of Life), Rachel sets five challenges for her readers: 1. eliminate prejudice; look for the best in others 2. dare to dream; set goals and keep a journal 3. choose positive influences; input determines output 4. kind words; little acts of kindness 5. start a chain reaction. 

Rachel's Challenge is very important because for one, their aren't enough people in this world that want to make a difference in people's lives. Everyone thinks that it's okay to stay a typical human on this Earth, but more should want to stand out. They should wanna bring kindness, 'choose positive influences' instead of drugs & such. Being an average student isn't enough for me, it wouldn't cut it for me, & definitely not for Rachel. Of course I accept everyone as they are, I dare not to judge you, I would just like to expect more from people who say that they want to make a difference & start a 'chain reaction' like Rachel. "People will never know how far a little kindness can go."

I personally would love to become a part of Rachel's challenge, I would accept it in a heart beat. I hadn't thought much about making a huge difference, I just knew that I wanted to change lives. I love to help people, & be there for them. I want to continue to share my kindness w/ others, & inspire them & tell them what Rachel told us, "People will never know how far a little kindness can go". I want to help & inspire others to be kind because being a bully or just a mean person in general will get you no where. I want to go out of my way to show compassion.

Rachel's challenge has touched so many students. Over eleven million people have heard the story about her. It has inspired others to be kind & want to show compassion. I only wish that someone had come to our school to talk to our student body about this challenge. It would've been so much easier to reach out to them if someone from her family had come to speak to us. But that didn't happen, I had to find out more about it from doing this Communication Applications project essay. Before this assignment was given, all I knew about Rachel's challenge was that some girl that was shot in a school shooting wanted to help stop bullying. I'm very thankful for having to do this essay, I would've never found the time to read about this girl & what she has accomplished.

I wished I had been there at the time of when the little speech was given to our middle school. i don't see how they expected us to find out about this challenge if we were never talked to about it. Looks like we had to find out what it was about ourselves.. I want to do more than show kindness, Rachel Scott's story has inspired me deeply me & has set an impact on my heart to want to change & be a way better person. I read on Wikipedia, (I wasn't sure to believe it or not) that the two boys who were shooting helpless human beings shot Rachel because she said that she believed in Jesus Christ. So that she died as a Martyr. That'd be so amazing if that was true, I would have done the same. Jesus died on the cross for us, so why can't we stand up for what we believe in, Him.