Cassie Bernall

Heroes aren’t born great; the path they take in life makes them great. This is especially true in the life that Cassie Bernall lived. Even though it was so short she made a great change. In her early teenage years, Cassie Bernall hung out with the wrong crowd. She cut herself, drank, did drugs with her friends and wrote letters of hate and death. Eventually her parents found one of those letters, which involved killing, satanic references and great evil. They came face to face with what their daughter was. They confronted Cassie and many drastic changes were made. Immediately Cassie was transferred to a Christian Private school, and she had to break off all contact with friends.

After weeks of resentment, she finally opened up and met a new friend. Jamie was her name; she was one of the people who changed Cassie’s life forever. Jamie invited Cassie to a weekend church camp. There, Cassie met the Lord and He became a huge part of her life. When she came home, the biggest difference in her was that she smiled. Her parents noticed and kept encouraging her to live for God.

After a couple of years, Cassie asked if she could transfer to a private school so she could evangelize to people who don’t know the Lord. Cassie then was enrolled into Columbine High School. Her impact on the people there was tremendous. Cassie had many friends, and still attended youth group. The biggest way she evangelized to others was by living her life for Christ. She acted like the Bible said to live. Cassie tried to put all of her focus on God, and not obsess over petty things like weight, hair and clothes. She also didn’t judge people because of what they wore or what they looked like. Cassie was nice to everyone; because that was the way she felt she should act. Sometimes it was hard for her to live that way, but she was always honest with her parents and friends and they helped her through the rough spots.

But her final and most fatal test of faith was the day the tragedy of Columbine occurred. Two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, entered the school with guns and countless homemade bombs. They injured many students, and continued their rampage before taking their own lives. The event was full of terror, like your worst nightmare. This was when Cassie Bernall made her final stand for Christ. Cassie was in the library when one of them asked her if she believed in God; she answered yes and he then proceeded to shoot her in the head. Her last act of courage inspired the world, and her amazing story of changing her life for the better is why I look up to Cassie Bernall as my hero.