Making a difference: Rachel's Challenge promotes culture of kindness at Westmont Hilltop High School

Sep. 28—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Kindness and compassion were two words Meichell Gibson repeated frequently during her presentation Tuesday at Westmont Hilltop Junior-Senior High School.

These were the ideals of Rachel Joy Scott — a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado — and messages her family spreads two decades later through Rachel's Challenge, a program that promotes the teenager's principles of sparking a chain reaction of kindness with one small act.

"This program can break down barriers," Gibson said. "It can help make people visible."

She's spent the past two days at the high school training teachers and students how to spread Scott's beliefs throughout the school.

Then, Tuesday evening, district community members were invited to hear from Gibson themselves.

Tabatha Plummer said her daughter, sophomore Haley Mosorjak, encouraged her to attend the presentation because of the impact it had on her.

"Being a teacher, it was kind of something I wanted to see myself," Plummer said.

Mosorjak was impressed by the message shared in the program, specifically that one person can make a difference.

"I truly feel it's going to have a positive influence (here)," the student said.

During the presentation, Gibson told the story of Scott's life by using video clips of her family members speaking about her and by referencing her personal journals.

The concept of kindness comes from a school essay the teenager wrote prior to the shooting that challenged others to follow her lead.

Gibson also shows a short documentary about the events of Columbine.

Throughout the talk, the presenter also challenges the audience to take on five tasks: look for the best in others, dream big, choose positive influences, speak with kindness and start your own chain reaction.

Gibson said the message was well-received by everyone from the administration to the students at Westmont.

"I feel like there's a great big buy-in here," she said.

That translates to the creation of the Friends of Rachel (FOR) Club in the school.

Lynn Clement, high school principal, said there were 100 students split into 10 groups on Tuesday who created 10 activities inspired by Rachel's Challenge.

That ranged from kindness boxes distributed to a different peer each week to tailgating events with students from rival schools prior to sporting events.

Mosorjak said she and other National Honor Society students suggested lining the drive up to the school with yard signs bearing positive messages and creating a mentoring program between the upper- and lowerclassmen.

These align with the challenge's goal of addressing the root causes of prejudice, school violence, self-harm and other issues through social-emotional learning programs that build resilience, connection and hope.

"Tiny little acts of kindness pays dividends," Superintendent Thomas Mitchell said.

He's a supporter of the program throughout the district.

Mitchell said Westmont wanted to bring Rachel's Challenge to the high school three years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented that from happening.

Despite the delay, high school assistant principal William Aurandt noted that it couldn't have come at a better time than the week after homecoming when fellowship and school spirit are running high.

Plummer said after the program that Gibson is "spot on" with the messaging that it takes one person to change the world.

She added that the district leadership introducing this sort of initiative is a positive move given the brush with possible tragedy Westmont faced nearly a year ago in which authorities allege two area teens were targeting the high school for an attack.

The mother said sharing the story of Columbine and Scott sheds light on how close they were and how lucky they are to have been missed.

For more information on the program, visit rachelschallenge.org.