On Friday, February 2, juniors and seniors were called down to the auditorium for a convocation during SRT. Hosted by FCCLA, the convocation had a powerful message.

Debbie Norris, founder of Heather’s Voice, presented her daughter’s story. She described her daughter’s abusive relationship and the aftermath of it in depth. Debbie’s daughter, Heather, was murdered by her abusive boyfriend on the southside of Indianapolis.

“To be perfectly honest, that convocation was probably the saddest 45 minutes of my life,” said Dakota Fisher, 12. “Listening to Debbie recount the brutal murder of her daughter was heart wrenching and frankly so necessary. High schoolers are often blind to the fact that stuff like this really happens and can happen if we are not aware of the signs and dangers it can happen to us too. Debbie’s frankness about the situation made it all the more real and was truly heartbreaking.”

Throughout the convocation, Debbie repeated her message over and over again for everyone in the room.

“Listen if you are the friend the abused opens up to,” said Debbie Norris. “Get help if you are being abused. Abusers cannot change; they need professional help.”

Towards the end of the convocation, Debbie let students ask her questions about Heather. Students chose to ask questions about the murderer, how he was caught, and the trial.

“The convocation was very powerful,” said Lily Hampton, 11. “As I was listening to Heather’s story, my heart started to beat really fast. I think we have all heard terrible stories on the news, but this one was so much more impactful coming from someone so close to the story, especially from a mother.”

Find out more about dating violence and domestic abuse at Heather’s Voice.