Parents and volunteers lined the road to support Marshall County students as they went back to school Thursday morning.
The community is still coping with the loss of two students who died in a school shooting by a classmate. Six months later, the community remains resilient.
The principal at Marshall County High School believes that in times of trauma, it’s not that people change, but they show who they truly are. After that unthinkable tragedy, the residents of this tight-knit community have shown who they truly are -- supporters of their schools.
Something as small as a smile and a cheer can go a long way on the first day of school.
LaDonna Coriell, a 911 director for the county, called the high school students her “heroes.”
“I just want to let them know how much we love them.”
Superintendent Trent Lovett says the security measure in place should make students feel safer this year. He also praised the strength of his school.
“Our students and our staff were very resilient,” Lovett said. “They bounced back very quickly. Not to say they were healed by any means, but they were so, so strong for one another.”
Two students injured in the shooting - Gage Smock and Devon Evans - say that the community support has made a difference, but it isn’t something new for Marshall County.
“We will look up on top of the hill and we see them up there and we’re like ‘Aw, we know what’s coming.’”
The outpouring of support from not just the community, but the entire state of Kentucky, was greatly appreciated by the students.
“Coming back and having that support from everybody around here in the community has made a huge impact,” Devon said.
These football players had one piece of advice they wanted to share with students all around Kentuckiana:
Make relationships with everyone, because you never realize what one kind thing you say to somebody can change the rest of their day, what they’re thinking, or the rest of their life.