Background
Rachel Joy Scott was born on August 5, 1981, in Denver, the third of five children of Darrell Scott (1949–) and Beth Nimmo. Her older sisters are Bethanee (1975–) and Dana (1976–) and her two younger brothers are Craig (1983–) and Mike (1984–). Her father had formerly pastored a church in Lakewood, Colorado, but resigned from the ministry when the marriage ended in divorce in 1989. The following year, Beth and the children moved to Littleton, Colorado, where she remarried in 1995. Darrell Scott became a sales manager for a food company in the Denver area and had joint custody of the children with their mother. As a child, Rachel attended Governor's Ranch Elementary School, and subsequently Ken Caryl Middle School. Coincidentally, she knew Dylan Klebold since kindergarten, and Rachel remained in the same classes with Klebold until their deaths. Both were members of Columbine's theater production club.
At the time of her death, the 17-year old Columbine High School senior was an aspiring writer and actress. She had the leading role in a student-written play. Described as a devout Christian by her mother, she was active as a youth group leader at Orchard Road Christian Center Church in Littleton and was known for her friendliness and compassionate nature. Rachel left behind six diaries and several essays about her belief in God and how she wanted to change the world through small acts of kindness. Shortly before her death, Rachel wrote an essay for school stating, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.” Similarities have been noted between the journal Rachel kept and Anne Frank's famous diary.
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