Missy Jenkins Smith

Missy Jenkins Smith of Paducah, Kentucky, is the author of the compelling memoir, I Choose to Be Happy: A School Shooting Survivor’s Story of Triumph over Tragedy, and a noted speaker about recovery, healing, forgiveness, and above all thriving in life in spite of whatever challenges might be put in one’s way. Missy’s story has been shared with hundreds of groups across the country and has led to her being featured in many national publications, including recently the March 2016 issue of Glamour magazine, along with other survivors, in a story titled, “We Have to Stop the Violence.” About Missy’s book, native Kentuckian and ABC News journalist Diane Sawyer declared, “Missy breaks your heart, puts it back together again, and makes you a believer – in forgiveness, faith, and how the strength of one girl can change the world.”

Missy Jenkins Smith was one of eight students in a prayer group randomly shot by 14-year-old Michael Carneal on Dec. 1, 1997, in the lobby of Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. Three girls were killed. Missy, a 15-year-old sophomore at the time, was paralyzed from the chest down. But Missy didn't see her disability as an end. Just hours after the tragedy, she forgave Carneal and took back her life.

Over the subsequent 15 years, harboring no malice but instead focusing on her physical and mental rehabilitation, Missy would go on to graduate from Heath, earn a bachelor's degree in social work from Murray State University, become a counselor for troubled youth at a day treatment center, get married and give birth to two healthy sons. Missy, now in her 30’s, has received numerous honors over the years for sharing her story of her determination and courage, and for her work on behalf of anti-violence, including being named “Kentuckian of the Year” and one of Ladies' Home Journal's “Most Fascinating Women.” She has appeared on TV shows such as “Oprah,” “Good Morning America,” “Dateline,” and “Anderson Cooper 360,” and appeared on stage as Al Gore’s guest at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. In addition, she was honored by former U.S. Attorney Janet Reno as “a leader in encouraging youth involvement in crime prevention.”

In her book, Missy shares the intimate details of her fascinating life since the shooting, along with her opinions on the power of forgiveness and the devastating effects of bullying, and many other related topics. Sarah Brady, whose husband, Jim, was wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the foreword to Missy’s book: “This courageous young woman has chosen to share her story in remarkable detail through this poignant book? Missy will take you on her incredible journey of sorrow, pain, joy, and triumph…. Some may read this and simply realize that her plight can put a bad day in perspective. Others may be able to relate to the more complex lessons she offers, such as the importance of forgiving the one who hurt you the most. But one thing is certain: there’s a lesson in here for everyone, young and old.”

Sponsored by the Americans with Disabilities Act Awareness Committee, the Office of Diversity, and the Honors Program

Sources:

http://www.missyjenkinssmith.com/

https://www.langmarc.com/book/i-choose-to-be-happy/

https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Be-Happy-Shooting-Survivors/dp/1880292319

Published on October 06, 2016