SARAH PARKER 0 n April 20, 19991 in the suburb Littleton, Colo., two armed male students entered Columbine High School and opened fire, killing 12 students and one teacher and injuring 21 others. At the end of the foray, the gunmen took their own lives. Sophomore Sarah Parker attended Columbine. Although she was only 5 years old when the shooting occurred, she saw aftermath of the shooting when she attended the school from fall 2010 to spring 2012. The Columbine massacre not only changed the way society looked at children and at schools, but it also devastated the entire community. "The Columbine community has become like a place you could not imagine," Scott Thomas, one of Parker's teachers at Columbine, said. "You have to experience it to know what life is to be a Columbine Rebel ... We are stronger, closer and wiser because of April 20th." Another tragedy occurred during Parker's time at Columbine that shook her community. On December 14, 2012, a shooting took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Conn. The perpetrator killed 20 children and six adults. Thomas had a family member either teaching, coaching or attending the school since 1973 and was able to explain how the Columbine community reacted to the Sandy Hook tragedy. "We had a group of teachers and our principal fly out there to consult and console the community members at Sandy Hook," Thomas said. "Anytime a school shooting or mass shooting happens, Columbine gets brought up. Some of our teachers get emotional still to this day about these kinds of shootings, and others get reserved and don't talk about it." Parker added that members of each community looked to each other for support and understanding. ·"Both communities were torn apart by senseless violence," Parker said. "Many people reached out to each other as the communities grieved. Both incidents were inhumane acts which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives." Junior Kelsey Pierce also grew close to Parker after participating in the social club induction process with her, and Pierce immediately sensed her pride for her high school and community in Colorado. "I think that both of the tragedies have made Sarah feel blessed to be part of such a close community in Colorado," Pierce said. "When someone experiences a tragedy like that, it makes them realize how fragile life is and brings them closer to God through their experience." A memorial was erected in Clement Park near Columbine High School in honor of the victims and their families. According to Parker, the memorial contained recollections of each victim from their friends and families. It also represented the terrible cost of senseless violence as well as the importance of community in dark times. "It always gives me pause to think when I visit the memorial and read about each of the innocent victims that lost their lives during the.terrible incident," Parker said. "Attending Columbine has made me realize that I have a unique story to tell, and that I can share my high school experience in a way that many others cannot." Kristina Kiser
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