Heather Martin was two days away from her 18th birthday when the shooting occurred during her senior year at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. After barricading in a small office for three hours, Heather returned home physically uninjured, but the effects of the trauma she experienced that day continued to impact in the following years as she went off to college. While the trauma caused her to initially drop out, she re-enrolled ten years later and obtained her Bachelors in English and teaching license.

 

She co-founded The Rebels Project after the shooting at the Aurora, CO movie theater with other Columbine 1999 alumni. Heather is a national speaker advocating for informed responses to traumatic events from the perspective of a survivor. She currently resides in Colorado and teaches English in Aurora, CO.