Whimsical September

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Changes and Challenges – One year as a public speaker

On April 26, 2011 I met a man who would lead me to an experience that would change my life. His name is Darrell Scott. 

Darrell lost his middle child, Rachel Joy, on April 20th, 1999 when two students entered Columbine High School and opened fire. Rachel was the first student shot and killed that day. She was sitting outside enjoying lunch with a friend, and Eric and Dylan shot her before entering the school doors.

To say that working for RC changed my life seems incredibly broad and somewhat cliché, though I find it incredibly difficult to put to words what tremendous changing and growing I experienced throughout the last year, professionally, independently, emotionally. My family and Jamie are all quick to point out the changes when they notice them; there are so many.

How I got hired to work for RC is the wildest story, and I have often referred to it as nothing short of a “God thing”. I previously had zero experience as a public speaker, and RC’s interviews and auditions were already completed. They’d hired their Fall 2011 presenters weeks before I met Darrell, but then they took me! I’m pretty sure they had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they hired me; I was beyond not ready for this, but I was determined to make them proud of the “leap of faith” they took by hiring me.

Our June 2011 summer training was a mixed bag of experiences. I instantly fell in love with the group I’d just joined. They were are genuine, wildly successful, constantly encouraging, non-judgmental, open, and SO. Much. Freaking. Fun.  I often went back and forth between feeling honored to be among this group of presenters and also completely “out of my league” professionally. These people are former NFL players, authors, Miss Americas, big screen actors…. And little 23 year old me from Madison, Alabama. Why on Earth did they hire me?! was what I thought more often than not that week.

I struggled that week with learning the material. I probably did the absolute worst of any presenter there – I just had no clue how to speak in front of people like this. Talk about humbling!!!

Making a long story short, I worked my tail off after I returned home from that trip, and by my first speaking trip in August, I was ready for those 1,200 middle school kids. When I heard the announcement for the students to head to the gym for their Rachel’s Challenge presentation, I honestly thought I would wet my pants. Somehow I made it through without my nerves affecting the presentation, and my skills thankfully continued to improve.

There were so many lives changed right in front of my eyes. This is obviously NO credit to me; I was merely the presenter of a story that well speaks for itself. Though the presentation mentions how Rachel died, that’s not the focus. This isn’t an anti-bullying thing. Rachel’s story is so much more than Columbine. It’s about the incredible and humble way she lived her life. I can’t put to words the impact of Rachel’s Challenge; it has to be seen to be understood, and once you see it, you want every single person you know to see it. It’s THAT powerful. There’s nothing like it.

The stories that students shared with me were unforgettable. I may not remember each individual face, or their names, or which state they were from, but I remember those stories. Stories about suicide attempts, abusive parents, abortion, sibling rivalry, and just flat out being miserable in their own skin. 

A lot of kids people that struggle aren’t bullied, but rather they are ignored! We (me included) are so stuck in our own comfort zones that we don’t even realize that there is someone right in front of us who is crying out for someone to notice her, someone to invite him to join them at a football game, someone to turn around and ask how their day is going. Maybe you can relate as you read this. 

You can’t watch the news without hearing about bullying and how to stop it, but do students even know what bullying is these days!? After speaking to 75,000 students I can tell you – NO!

I loved being a public speaker. It’s so much fun! Hard work gave me the confidence I needed to do the job. I am excited to take that advice to my English classroom – if you have practiced and worked hard to understand what you are speaking about, then why are you nervous? No one is judging your speaking ability; your audience just wants to hear what you have to say!

One of the huge perks to this job was the TRAVEL! I adored driving around new cities, browsing local boutiques, eating local food Panera every meal, and sprawling out in a comfy king-sized Hampton Inn bed every night. I saw the snow and -7 degree temps in Idaho, Reno from the 17thfloor of Harrah’s hotel, beautiful downtown Columbia, SC, my first lighthouse in Maine, the incredibly gorgeous beaches in New Hampshire, the desert in New Mexico. I saved so much money, too! Being on the road = not spending money at home on food, gas, entertainment, etc. Talk about some lower power bills!

Though I am not ready to give this job up, an amazing opportunity to teach 11th grade English and head coach 31 cheerleaders has fallen into my lap, and my experiences with RC have prepared me for what’s to come. 

That kid in the back that you wish would never come back because he mouths off so bad – he’s learned it from his parents; that’s the only way they speak to him.

That girl who couldn’t care less about her homework and never has any assignments done on time – She doesn’t have an ounce of support at home. No one is pushing her. She reports to no one when it comes to grades, so what’s her motivation?

I will take a newly-discovered amount of patience with me to my new job. I’ll strive to take a deep breath when a student has disrespected me and ticked me off beyond words because there is a HUGE chance that there is something so much deeper going on in that kid’s life. This does not mean that I’ll let students walk all over me or not discipline them properly when necessary, but this does mean that I’ll be slow to judge and proactive about being a positive role model in that kid’s  life.

My time with Rachel’s Challenge is not over; The company and I are not cutting ties with each other. They understand why I’m taking some time off and are so excited that I get to stay home with my husband and impact the same kids every single day. They’ve generously let me know that the door to their office is always open to come back and join the team. I’m telling you – these people are beyond words.

I loved who I was when I did this job. It truly truly brought out the very best side of me. I felt confident, outgoing, funny, and comfortable. This is one of the qualities that I already miss the most. Many times that I’ve gotten stressed out lately, I burst into tears so quickly because I desperately miss my stress-free, confident, love what I’m doing life that I used to have. But a challenge never hurt. In fact, I’m confident that I need to be challenged again. I have new areas to grown in and learn. 

I just realized that I’ve had a lump in my thought and tears in my eyes the whole time I’ve been writing this. What on earth has this job done to me? 

It’s shaped me in a million ways, and I am forever and ever grateful to those individuals who have mentored me, guided me, and befriended me throughout the last year.
Have I mentioned that I can’t wait to come home to my husband every night? I so love him, and even if I would have stuck with RC this year or for the next 10 years, he would have supported me and the program 110%.
To Darrell, Sandy, Bethanee, Dana, Craig, and Mike – Spending time with your family has been a joy! Thanks for trusting me and allowing me share Rachel’s story. I would have loved to have known your daughter/sister. She was remarkable.

 
“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.”
 – Rachel Joy Scott


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