Sam Fuentes

Sam Fuentes was amongst the injured in the Parkland school shooting that took place on February 14 2018While fortunate to be alive her body and life changed forever She has bullet shrapnel permanently embedded in her legs and behind her right eye and currently manages symptoms of PostTraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD She lost revered friends and faculty members Despite these tragic events today Sam is resolved and committed to a poignant mission to make sure that no child or adult is devastated by senseless and preventable gun violence ever again Sams passion for this cause is focused and strong Every day she spreads her message by sharing her personal story which starts well before facing down the barrel of an AR15 Her single mother who battled alcoholism raised Sam in a trailer park in Davie FL her father was absent She was unpopular with the neighborhood kids frequently bullied humiliated and endured racist attacks And there was no respite for Sam at home as her stepfather was physically and verbally violent The frailty of her relationships and lack of a positive male parental figure skewed her idea of healthy relationships In her early teens she found herself in emotionally and physically abusive relationships At fifteen she attempted suicide after moving from Davie to Coral Springs FL shortly after her transfer to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL Though her life had become much happier and stable after that point looking back Sam wishes she had the courage to stand up for herself and ask for help with her struggles This is what drives her today Sam Fuentes is a survivor She now works closely with Angel Faces an organization that serves girls who have endured all types of trauma Many of the girls have been injured at the hands of someone else car accidents dog attacks and acid attacks Sam came to Angel Faces fragile scared and exhausted Giving her a place to exhale from her highly charged traumatic event she found bravery and self love Her life experiences have tasked her to champion the importance of human rights and equality being a victim of gun violence only further bolsters her purpose Her perspective is straightforward to uplift the voices of the silenced and remind us that ALL our experiences matter regardless of color religion gender age or sexual orientation Sam wants to rally bystanders to participate in change when they witness injustice because anything is possible in numbers Even if the odds are low and risks are high if Sam still has a powerful voice anyone can find and use theirs