Rachel Engler grew up in Littleton, Colorado, a community rocked by gun violence. Thirteen students and a teacher were shot and killed at nearby Columbine High School in 1999.
Two decades after the Columbine shooting, Engler’s friend survived a shooting at a charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, which killed one person and injured eight others in May 2019.
Engler, 19, now attends the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Her friend’s experience, coupled with being raised near Columbine High School, kickstarted her interest in advocacy. She joined Students Demand Action, which supports legal reforms and other measures to end of gun violence…