Missy Jenkins Smith
On December 1, 1997, then 15-year old Missy Jenkins was seriously wounded in the shooting at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, which resulted in three students' deaths. Missy spent five months recuperating in a hospital and remains paralyzed from the waist down. She later discovered that her neighbor and friend had known of the shooter's plans beforehand, but did nothing. Missy has since become active in promoting the SPEAK UP message to young people across the country to help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred at her high school.

Celia McGinty
In September 2004, after an acquaintance told her that he planned a Columbine-like massacre at his school, Celia spoke up. The investigation that followed uncovered Nazi paraphernalia, stolen rifles, including an AK-47 assault rifle, bomb-making devices, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and hunting knives. Celia's courage undoubtedly prevented a senseless tragedy and the loss of innocent lives.

Matt Atkinson

Matt Atkinson was a senior at Green Bay East High School in Wisconsin in 2006. Two of his friends were involved in a plan to attack his school.   He found out about their plans and was faced with a difficult decision -- tell on his friends or let a terrible tragedy occur at his school. He chose to speak up.   Matt went to a staff member and told what he knew. Authorities later removed various guns, ammunition, bombs and suicide notes from one of his friends' homes.   Matt's brave decision prevented terrible events from occurring at his school.

Crystal Woodman Miller
Crystal was a junior at Columbine High School in 1999, the year that two students opened fire on the school and killed twelve of her classmates and one teacher. She was in the library studying for a test when two boys rushed in with guns and she hid there under a table while they shot many people around her. Crystal survived because the attackers ran out of ammunition. The events of that day changed her life. Now twenty-four years old, Crystal travels around the country fulltime, telling her story at schools, community centers and churches. Crystal is committed to empowering young people and giving them tools to prevent similar tragedies in their own communities.     

Francisco Rodriguez
In his senior year of high school, Francisco decided to do something about the violence that plagued his community in New Jersey. Along with a group of classmates, Francisco wrote, produced and edited a 30-second public service announcement to promote the SPEAK UP message and 1-866-SPEAK-UP hotline. Since then, Francisco has remained actively involved in working to prevent violence in schools. With his friends, he travels to schools throughout the area to talk with students about the importance of speaking up and keeping schools safe.

Michelle Houde
Michelle and her best friend found out that a boy had photos and detailed sketches of an attack he was planning at school. They reported what they knew. It turned out the boy was going to attack the school early the next day. Michelle's quick thinking saved countless lives.

Josh Stevens
Josh was 15-years-old when his friend Andy Williams told him about his plan to attack his school. Josh assumed he was just joking. The next day Andy brought a gun to school and opened fire, killing 2 students and wounding 13 others. Josh says that not reporting Andy's threat was a mistake he will regret for the rest of his life.

Kelly Vickery
Kelly's friend told her that one of their classmates who they had known since middle school had brought a gun to school and had given it to someone else. Her friend tried to swear her to secrecy, but Kelly did not want her school to be "another Columbine" and decided to tell her mother. Together they went to the principal and the boys were taken in and the gun was confiscated. Though Kelly struggled with the decision and the fear of being ostracized, ultimately her sense of duty prevailed. Kelly prevented a potential tragedy.

Sarah Hitchcock
Sarah, an 8th grade student at Olive Peirce Middle School in Ramona, CA, created a public service announcement for the SPEAK UP Campaign. She first learned about SPEAK UP while watching television so she was excited when her media teacher, Mr. Estrada, gave her the opportunity to make her own video project. Because she recognizes that school violence could happen anywhere, even in her own school, and that 'figuring out what to do about a threat is the hardest part,' Sarah made a PSA advertising the anonymous SPEAK UP hotline. The PSA is broadcast every morning in her school and has sparked discussion about school violence among her teachers and classmates.

Have you had an experience with violence in your school?
Did you or someone you know SPEAK UP and report a threat of weapon-related violence?
Tell us your story at speakup@paxusa.org.