On March 14, 2018, hundreds of schools around the country participated in a national school walkout. This walkout is in response to the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida one month ago. The walkout occurred at 10 a.m. in the respective time zones and students stand outside for 17 minutes, one minute for each victim from Parkland.

Seeing on Twitter and Facebook reactions to the idea of this walkout, I was thinking to myself: "what would I do if I was still in high school at this time?" The answer is pretty simple and came quickly: I would've participated in my high school's walkout.

Why?

Because I feel like as young students, we have been pushed aside for too long. We go to school to get our education, to hopefully graduate and maybe even get into a good college. But when on social media, I see news about how there is another shooting somewhere, whether it's in school or a concert, a movie theater or a mall, I feel sad. Then I realize: why are we not doing anything?

School's hit me really hard. I am attending college as an education major and to see that there are students dying in a place that is supposed to be safe for them at the hands of a gun, I just want to cry. I know someday I will have my own classroom, and I will be responsible for the lives of students and I don't want them to feel like they're going to sit in a classroom wondering if they are going to make it home alive that day.

Am I saying that teachers should be equipped with guns in their classrooms? No. I don't trust even myself with a gun, let alone have one in a classroom.

People are saying that teenagers are "lazy" and "shouldn't get involved in politics" and "should stick with having their noses in their technology" and all that jazz. Well, guess what, Sharon? It's the 21st century, and we are being exposed to politics by social media. We are forming our own opinions by what we read online and also from our parents and peers.

And after the 2016 election, more teens are getting involved.

So yes, I would've participated in my school's walkout if I was back in high school.

I want my voice to be heard. I want gun control now.