Victoria Soto

Victoria Soto smiling by the sea. (Boston Herald (Erin Smith))

Imagine being a teacher whose students are in danger of a mad man gone in a shooting craze. Your heart's beating is irregular and panic starts to overwhelm your senses. As you hear your young children cry out asking what was that sound, a sense of calm fills your mind. You see a solution in your head that you didn't think of before. Without any doubt of what you are about to do, you hide the children and wait for the gunman. Bracing yourself before he enters, you pray for the safety of your students. Not many think that they would ever go through such a situation, but whether they like it or not it will happen if it is meant to be.

Sandy Hooks Elementary School was having another regular day full of learning and fun, but in a small amount of time all of that changed. A man, Adam Lanza, went rampaging around the school full of innocent children. With a rifle gun, he shot and killed 20 children and 6 adults. In the end he killed himself as the police closed in. The tragic story was soon known by the whole country. The stories of those teachers and staff who sacrificed themselves for the safety of their students also became known.

Victoria Soto, 27 years old, was a first grade teacher at Sandy Hooks Elementary located in Newtown, Connecticut. She was shot down protecting her students who were bewildered by the violence. She managed to help some of her students survive the attack; many did not. Her actions were those of a hero. Victoria managed to act calmly in a situation in which many would panic.

Victoria Soto is a hero because she was able to do something not many would have thought of. A hero is not only Superman and Batman; a hero can be anyone. Victoria lived a normal life and was not known as a hero before, yet she went from being a teacher to a hero. She didn't put herself first; instead, she put the lives of her precious students first. A hero must think of others, not themselves. A hero is someone who does the right thing no matter how small it might be, and Victoria chose to die rather than live and have her students die. She presented the qualities of bravery and courage; something that most would not have in the face of an armed person. Victoria Soto is a hero through her actions and her qualities.

Victoria Soto is a hero to me since her first thoughts were to protect her students. As a student, I remember how it felt looking up to my teacher when I was a first grader. I am comforted by the thought that there are teachers who truly love their job and adore children so much that they would give up their lives for them. It made a difference in my life because it made me realize the good qualities in people. Not everything in the world is corrupted and there are so many heroes that go unnoticed, but they don't mind. I was really glad and thankful that they tried their best to save their students.

Heroes are not always who you expect them to be, but they are always there. Sometimes they are right next to you, but you do not see them since you believe heroes are those like Superman and Batman. The staff and teachers who died on that fateful day in Sandy Hooks were regular people who became heroes in an instant. Everyone can be a hero by doing the right thing. A hero will not always be visible, but believe and they will appear.