On Oct. 16, Rachel’s Challenge took the school by storm with an assembly funded by the Altoona Area School District Foundation. The assembly helped to spread the message of Rachel’s Challenge to the school. The assembly was organized by advisers of the Friends of Rachel (FOR) club, along with those that work for Rachel’s Challenge.
Spokesperson Meichelle Gibson was brought into the school to give presentations to all students, which lasted two periods.
There were a wide range of topics covered from Rachel’s kindness, to who she was as a person, to the people she saved with her random acts of kindness. Overall, the message was about the “chain of kindness” that she left behind after she passed. This “chain of kindness” would only grow as the years flew by, and with the influence of the people at Rachel’s Challenge, it only became more prominent in our society.
“I think it was a good reminder of something that happened,” senior Stayley Drenning said. “I personally saw the videos in middle school and believe it was really touching again. It reinforced the same message. I like how instead of just showing Rachel’s Story, it showed others, also incorporating the goals of the club and how to be involved.”
Rachel Joy Scott was an girl whose “chain of kindness” could save a life. Her actions prompted the creation of Rachel’s Challenge, which led nine different school shootings to be averted, and 150 lives to be saved on an annual basis. Rachel’s Challenge conveys a powerful message that schools all around the world can implement.
Gibson listed five challenges for students: Look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction.
“Take this moment to close your eyes,” Gibson said. “I don’t want you to pay attention to the person next to you, I want you to stand in your own boldness, your own confidence. The only thing I want you to do is to begin to think about what in your lives you care about the most…. Now join us all around the world and in the next three days, go to those people and simply tell them how much you love them and how much you care about them.”
Gibson spoke throughout the assembly, sharing the impact Scott had throughout her community. Each mention of a different person Scott impacted resonated with those in attendance, amplifying the significance in Gibson’s words. The speech moved many in the audience, as it recounted the story of Rachel Joy Scott. Following Scott’s death, Rachel’s Challenge was formed.
“Over the years we’ve developed,” Gibson said “I think we have maybe seven or eight different programs that lend themselves from kindergarten to adults in college and corporations. In doing so, we’ve enhanced all the videos, experiences and clubs. There’s always something we’re doing to keep this message alive.”
During sixth and seventh period, Gibson led the FOR club through a workshop. The workshop had a plethora of activities for the FOR club to do from speaking about things learned from the assembly to making new ideas to spread kindness throughout the school. During this workshop, the club also shared activities they have done in the past with Gibson, such as cards for veterans and welcome baskets for new students.
“It’s just the small things,” co-adviser Julie Yahner said. “We don’t have to do these big, grandiose, huge projects and raise a ton of money. It’s just the small things that we can do in our everyday lives that can make the biggest impact.”
Look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction. These five challenges given from Rachel’s challenge, can brighten up someone’s day. Being kind to a stranger may just save their life.
