Editor’s Note: Since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, which killed 14 students and 3 adults, students across the nation are not only calling for action but also honoring those who died. At Wahlert, each week we are honoring the victims by learning a little, about them during morning prayer. To give you a better idea of who these students were, we are also writing a short article to honor the people.

On Feb. 14, Jaime Guttenberg, ‘21, was a victim of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.

Jaime started dancing when she was three years old and had performed in competitions since she was nine years old.  Her first competition of the year would have been two weeks after the shooting. Throughout her life, Jaime was a part of the Best Buddies program, an organization that helps form friendships for people with disabilities, and the Friendship Initiative, another organization for people with disabilities.

Jaime is survived by her parents, Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg and her brother Jesse.

In speaking of his daughter, Fred Guttenberg said, “My heart is broken. Yesterday, Jennifer Bloom Guttenberg and I lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school. We lost our daughter and my son Jesse Guttenberg lost his sister.  Hugs to all and hold your children tight.”

Skidmore College, where Fred Guttenberg attended, released a statement, “There really are no words to lessen the suffering that the families of victims are feeling at this moment, but perhaps knowing that we stand with them can provide some small measure of solace.”

Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan addressed the mourners at the funeral, “God is in the teachers who protected them. God is in the first responders who went in that day. God is in the police who raced to the school, and God is in the families who waited. … God is in the people, all over the world, who sent condolences.”

“Mostly, people are good, very good,” commented Jennifer Guttenberg.  During the funeral, she also said to her daughter, “You will always be my Valentine.”

Jaime’s father is “dedicating the rest of my life to fighting to end gun violence”  He has also set up a GoFundMe and an organization called Orange Ribbons for Jaime. This 501(c)3 is dedicated to helping causes that Jaime found important during her life such as dance, people with special needs, and an end to violence in schools.  If you wish to donate, the website is: https://www.gofundme.com/OrangeRibbonsForJaime

*Information and quotes were found on CNN, The Miami Herald, Marie Claire, and GoFundMe.