GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Samantha Fuentes says she is not cut out to be an activist out on the public stage. She says her life changed after she was wounded by a shooter who killed 17 people at her Florida high school last year.
“When outrageous things happen to you, you combat them with an outrageous response,” she explains.
Wednesday, Feb. 27 Fuentes was invited to join a panel at Grand Valley State University to talk about Safe Learning Environments for Students.
The type of environment she didn’t have when a teenager with an assault rifle started shooting and killing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last February.
“Nothing can stop the pain or erase the memory of what happened February 14,” she told the audience. “I will live with it for the rest of my life. I hope that I will inspire people to not ever want to be like me. To never end up in this situation. So, I’ve dedicated my life to it.”
Fuentes, who is one of 14 people who were wounded but survived, says she still has metal fragments in her legs and behind her eye. She travels the country discussing gun violence and works with Angel Faces, an organization for girls who have endured trauma.
“I want to make sure every single person feels safe in this world,” she says. “Safety is a right not a privilege. Everyone deserves it, including me and including you.”
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