“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”
These words of 17-year-old Rachel Scott have shaped the mission of many schools around the country. She was a simple student who cared enough for her peers to step up to help when she saw bullying, loneliness or anyone in need. After her death in the Columbine school shooting in 1999, her family created Rachel’s Challenge to encourage school unity and anti-bullying.
“I was introduced to the program last summer at an administrator’s conference in Little Rock. This program means so much to me. I knew right away that I would stop at nothing to bring this program to our students,” assistant principal Rachel Rasburry said.
A few students and faculty members have recently embarked on this brave new mission: to create a kinder and more compassionate student body. They plan to bring Rachel’s Challenge here. Rasburry organized a field trip to take a group of students to the 2014 Rachel’s Challenge Youth Summit in April at Lonoke High School.
“We had a group of students who volunteered to attend the Arkansas Youth Summit where they heard the Rachel’s Challenge message and were able to experience the program,” Student Senate sponsor Amber Leaton said. “They will make up the core group that will plan the club and continue the program next year.
This group, including all the Student Senate members and a few faculty members, has formed a club to continue Rachel’s mission throughout the years. They have met once since the Youth Summit to discuss ideas and hope to meet again by the end of the year or early next school year. This group has the program completely funded and scheduled for Sept. 11th. There will be two daytime assemblies for grades 9-12 and a community event in the evening
“Things are going well so far,” Leaton said. “I hope that it will truly make a difference and promote a culture of kindness at our school in which all students feel connected and valued.”
Rasburry received a grant from Walmart to help fund the program. Student Senate developed several fundraising events and they were able to raise the rest of the money with help from a donation from Landers in Benton. They plan to involve other student organizations and grow this program not only at school, but also within the community.
“This is probably the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in. It’s what I’m going to devote most of my senior year to because I think it’s really important,” junior Hailey Squires said. “I think preventing a death is the most important thing that you can do when you’re in high school.”
Squires got involved with this group after the death of senior Ethan Miller. She said getting involved with this group was just something she needed to do.
“We are doing this is to create a better climate for Bryant and to prevent any more tragedies from happening, like Carlo and Ethan,” Squires said.
The goal of this program, according to Rasburry, is to “bring the student body closer together and provide a more sensitive, nurturing and caring environment for all BHS students.” By bringing the program here, they hope to create a more supportive and friendly setting for all students.
“I think this program will be a wonderful experience for the students and will improve the culture of the school as a whole,” Leaton said. “We are such a large school and sometimes it is easy for people to feel lost in the shuffle.”
