On Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, Peter DeAnello came to Bel Air High School to give a presentation on Rachel’s Challenge, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating safe school environments.

Tuesday, April 20, 1999 in Columbine High School 13 were killed and 27 were wounded in a school shooting. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had placed bombs in the school’s cafeteria, when they failed to detonate they continued to the west wing and library where they shot and killed one teacher and twelve students.

Rachel Scott, 17 year old student and first victim of the school shooting, is the inspiration for the organization Rachel’s Challenge. In Rachel’s essay My Ethics, My Code of Life as well as her six diaries she outlined her five challenges.

One month before she died Rachel told a relative, “Look into someone’s eyes before judging them.  You might just see all the way into their heart.”

Rachel’s first challenge is to get rid of prejudice by giving people at least three chances before labeling them and looking for the best in people. The second challenge is to dream big and don’t just dream, to set goals and make it happen. The third is to keep a journal and tell the story of your own life. To speak with kindness is Rachel’s fourth challenge and the fifth is to start your own chain reaction.

“These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will someday touch millions of people’s hearts,” Scott wrote on the back of her dresser at the age of 13.

More than 21 million people have heard of and accepted Rachel’s Challenge, join the cause by visiting rachelschallenge.org and take the challenge.