Columbine School Shooting Survivor Teaches Oklahoma Students About Kindness

A survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting is keeping his sister's legacy alive by traveling the country and teaching students about the importance of being kind to others.

He came to Oklahoma to share his story with students at Caney Valley Public Schools. 

Kindness: it's little acts that can go a long way. For one man, being kind is a big deal.

"It's important for me to go around sharing because kids need encouragement, kids need life spoken into them and they need stories of ennobling characters," said Craig Scott. 

Scott has spent the last 20 years teaching students about the importance of being kind, something he wishes was taught at his high school 25 years ago.

"I was in the middle of the Columbine High School shooting," he said. 

Scott was in the library when the shooting happened. When he escaped, he learned his sister Rachel was the first one killed that day.

"My sister only lived to be 17 years old, but she's impacted millions of people," Scott said. 

An impact left behind in her journals.

"She wrote things like don't let your character change colors with your environment, find out who you are and let it stay it's true color," said Scott. 

These lessons stick with students.

"You're never too young to learn about kindness and how to be a good friend to another person," said Caney Valley Elementary teacher, Kara Rumery. 

Rumery first heard Craig's story when she was in middle school.

"He has always said you never know what somebody is going through, always be kind, and ever since then that has been a motto that has stuck with me."

A motto she now hangs in her own classroom as a reminder for her students.

After speaking with elementary students, Scott leaves them with a challenge to participate in "chain links of kindness." A project where every time a student does something kind, they add a link to their chain and the school will see how long their chain can be at the end of the school year.