Our Hearts are With Columbine!

Our hearts are with the Columbine community today – 4-20-2019 – on their 20th anniversary!!! Having counseled in the Columbine community over 100 hours during the week following the tragedy in 1999 at the areas’ schools and churches, I saw many other sides of the Columbine community I that had grown to love in 1982 when I student taught at Columbine. Columbine you have left an indelible mark on my life that has greatly influenced me as a counselor and educator.

The Columbine students, staff and families I worked with at the crisis drop-in centers at West Bowles and Light of the World Churches were so compassionate toward each other and thankful for all the help as you took each step forward…even though limping at times. Your resilience through the years as you faced many struggles has inspired the world! In helping to open up Colorow Elem, Columbine Hills Elem, and Ken Caryl Middle School after the tragedy, I saw your courage to go back and start again in the midst of your new normal with so many fears and questions!

Then with all of you still heavy on my heart, I added many more hours that summer two days a week for drop-in counseling at S.H.O.U.T.S. and Ken Caryl! Seeing you continue in your healing process amid more questions and challenges was incredible!!!!

Columbine family you are a big reason I started the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team (Believe It Or Not I Care) – www.bionicteam.org – to help kids to reach out to others during difficult times to prevent them from falling through the cracks! Over 950 schools across the world have inquired about having B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams at their schools. I think of Dave Sanders, the Columbine teacher who was killed, who I coached with in 1982 who helped so many kids!!! Your caring legacy is living on through B.I.O.N.I.C. Thank you!!!

I wish the Florida school – where the 18-year old who came to Colorado this week and shut down all the schools in Denver with the threat of violence – had a B.I.O.N.I.C. Team. Maybe we could have reached her and prevented all that happened. Hopefully we can prevent any next possible incident with more B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams around the world!!!

We Are All Columbine!
Sandy Austin
B.I.O.N.I.C. Executive Director