Shawn Karsten's childhood was every boy's fantasy. As the son of an Emmy award-winning sports reporter, Shawn proudly watched his dad on national television every weekend and dreamed of following in his footsteps.

But the fantasy collapsed when Shawn realized his dad was an alcoholic and his alcoholism was spiraling out of control. Local gossips and national media swarmed as Shawn's dad lost his job, then faced prison time, and, ultimately, took his own life.

Shawn's life derailed in the years following his father's death. His college career skidded to a halt. He abused alcohol and drugs trying to numb his pain. But nothing could block the pain of losing his dad.

Two years after he buried his father, Shawn made a decision that would change his life and the lives of countless other kids in crisis: he decided to tell his story. Today, Shawn speaks both independently and on behalf of the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere.

Sabrina Steger is Kayce’s Mother. On December 1, 1997, Kayce became an "Angel Too Soon" when she was gunned down at a student led prayer meeting by a fellow student at Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. Since her daughter’s death, Sabrina has done everything in her power to help this nation find answers for such mindless violence. She has testified before the United States Congress and has appeared on almost every talk show on television. Sabrina will touch your heart and will cause you to think. As a spokesperson for SAVE, a nurse, and a firewoman, Sabrina brings expereience and emotion to the reality of youth violence.

Gerard Wheeler served as the National Youth Advisory Board Chair for the 2004-2005 school year. Wheeler was president of the Highland School of Technology SAVE step team in 2003-2004 and performed with his peers at the 2003 National SAVE Youth Summit. He received the prestigious SAVE Student of the Year Award in 2005. Wheeler is very interested in increasing communication between youth. He says that communication is a key component to nonviolence because it enables youth to discuss the problem, try to see the other side, and come up with a positive outcome . Wheeler says, "Many students do not have a person to talk to when they are having problems and being involved in SAVE automatically gives students a group of people they can talk to and trust." Wheeler graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 2009 with his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. While at North Carolina A&T State University Wheeler served in a host of positions including Orientation Student Leader, Mr. 1913 for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Member of Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society, and Senior Class President. During his senior year, a tragic event happened. Wheeler’s good friend Dennis Stuart Hayle was shot and killed on January 25, 2009 early in the morning in front of his apartment home. Dennis was a victim of a malicious act and his murder has not been solved to this day. This event changed Wheeler and the whole North Carolina A&T State University Family. This act really was very hard for Wheeler to deal with and he begin to focus more on spreading the message of non violence. The Senior Class of 2009 decided to dedicate a scholarship in the name of Dennis Hayle. Dennis was truly an angel on earth and the world should hear his story. Along with the men of the Mu Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Wheeler and others have made it a mission to spread this message and make a scholarship in his name. Wheeler got back in contact with SAVE to make sure that this message of nonviolence is spread along a collegiate level and to make sure this tragedy doesn’t have to happen to another family or another university. Wheeler believes that no mother should have to bury her son, no brother should lose another brother, and no school should lose another student due to violence. Wheeler has made it his new priority to spread this message on college campuses across America and wanted to connect with SAVE to do this. Wheeler is currently obtaining his Master of Arts in Community Counseling at Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.

Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.”