30 Facts About Rachel Scott

Rachel Joy Scott was an American student who was the first fatality of the Columbine High School massacre, during which 12 other students and a teacher were murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who then committed suicide.

Rachel Scott posthumously was the subject and co-writer of several books, and was the inspiration for Rachel's Challenge, an international school outreach program and the most popular school assembly program in the US The aim of Rachel's Challenge is to advocate Scott's values, based on her life, her journals, and the contents of a two-page essay, penned a month before her murder, entitled My Ethics; My Codes of Life.

Rachel Joy Scott was born on August 5,1981, in Denver, Colorado.

Rachel Scott was the third of five children born to Darrell Scott and Beth Scott.

Rachel Scott's father was a pastor at a church in Lakewood, Colorado, and worked as a sales manager for a Denver-based food company; her mother was a homemaker.

Rachel Scott's parents divorced in 1988; they maintained a cordial relationship and held joint custody of the children.

Rachel Scott developed a passion for photography and poetry at an early age.

Rachel Scott attended Dutch Creek Elementary School and Ken Caryl Middle School before she enrolled in Columbine High School in the ninth grade.

Rachel Scott was a member of the school's forensics and drama clubs.

When Rachel Scott was 11 in March 1993, she visited the church that her aunt and uncle attended in Shreveport, Louisiana, and chose to commit herself to Christianity.

Rachel Scott documented this in a letter to a relative a year to the day before her death.

Rachel Scott's mother said that her daughter would regularly pray on her knees, with her head bowed, her hands upon her face, and that often, these particular prayer rituals brought tears to Scott's eyes.

Rachel Scott was an active member of church youth groups; at the Orchard Road Christian Center, she attended a youth group named "Breakthrough", where she displayed a passionate interest in both evangelism and discipleship.

Rachel Scott wrote in her journals that her spiritual awareness developed greatly through attending this youth group, and she became known as a leading advocate within it.

Rachel Scott struggled with self-esteem issues as a teenager, and has been described by her family as being "blind to her own beauty".

At the time of her death at age 17, Rachel Scott lived at 7282 South Vance Street in the Columbine community and was debating as to whether she should become an actress or a Christian missionary.

Rachel Scott had plans to visit Botswana as a member of a Christian outreach program to build homes in the upcoming summer before moving into her own apartment in late 1999.

Rachel Scott was eating lunch with her friend Richard Castaldo on the lawn outside the west entrance of the school, when Eric Harris shot her four times with a Hi-Point 995 Initially shot in the chest, left arm, and left leg, from a distance of 10 to 15 feet, she sustained a fourth and fatal wound to her left temple.

Rachel Scott's body was left outside where she died and was not retrieved by the coroner until the following morning.

Shortly after Rachel Scott was murdered, Harris and Klebold went on a killing spree around the school, claiming 12 more lives and leaving 24 injured.

Rachel Scott was buried at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Centennial on April 24,1999, following a two-hour funeral service held at the Trinity Christian Center.

Rachel Scott's funeral was one of the first services following the massacre and was attended by more than 1,000 people that included friends and staff at Columbine High School.

Rachel Scott's coffin was adorned with messages of love, gratitude, and grief.

Rachel Scott did not know the two boys personally and was in a different academic grade than them.

Porter wrote a book about Rachel Scott, making frequent references to sacrifice.

Rachel Scott's Challenge is a national nonprofit and nonpolitical organization whose stated aims are to advocate a safe and positive climate and culture in schools in a campaign to quell school violence, bullying, discrimination, and both homicidal and suicidal thoughts in students.

President Bush requested a copy of the speech, and Craig Rachel Scott was later invited back to the White House to speak further on these issues.

Darrell Scott was selected as the 2009 winner of the "All-Stars Among Us" initiative in recognition of his selfless dedication toward preserving his daughter's memory in a positive manner through Rachel's Challenge in the US.

Rachel Scott had no clue that because of her memory.

Darrell Scott has stated that reliving his daughter's death giving his Rachel's Challenge speeches is painful, but that he and his family consider the opportunity to be a worthwhile experience as they can turn a tragedy into triumph.