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Darrell Scott, father of Columbine victim Rachel Scott, spoke to a crowd of students at Ackerman Grand Ballroom Tuesday night.

Over three years after the worst school shooting in U.S. history, students packed Ackerman Grand Ballroom Tuesday night to hear about the life and legacy of one of the victims.

Darrell Scott’s speech, entitled “Missing Students,” recounted with veneration the life of his deceased daughter, Rachel Joy Scott.

Scott’s talk rekindled painful memories of April 20,1999, when two student gunmen launched a shooting rampage leaving 12 Columbine High School students and one teacher dead, and countless emotionally wounded.

Rachel’s peer, Eric Harris, shot her execution-style after she affirmed her belief in God. A “missing student,” Rachel would now be 21 years old, a third-year in college.

Amid heart-wrenching videotape of Columbine news coverage and photos of Rachel, somber students listened to Darrell Scott share the messages of his daughter, documented in her copious journal musings that were inspired by Anne Frank.

“Tomorrow is not a promise, but a chance,” wrote Rachel Scott in one of her prophetic entries.

Rachel’s friends and family describe her as someone who had a reputation for compassion – a will to “reach the unreached.”

Rachel’s essay “My Ethics, My Codes of Life,” written shortly before her death, expressed her theory that “if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction.”

Today, Rachel’s memory and dream lives on through her father, who tours the country speaking for Christian, political and educational groups advocating implementation of “Rachel’s Challenge,” a set of guidelines aimed at stopping violence in the nation’s schools.

Proceeds from the speaking events and Darrell Scott’s books “Rachel’s Tears,” “Chain Reaction” and “Rachel Smiles” go to two nonprofit organizations – Columbine Redemption and Rachel’s Challenge – created to prevent the reoccurrence of tragedy.

Scott explains his newly acquired role on the speaking circuit as “something that just unfolded after (his) speech to Congress.”

“I realized I had a platform, because of the tragedy, to make a difference,” he said.

In his May 27, 1999 speech to Congress, Scott said, “Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key.”

As Scott noted Tuesday night, “After Columbine, everybody was screaming about gun control, but it’s not the instrument of death that matters, it’s the influences on the heart.”

He admitted it is sometimes hard for him to speak about his daughter Rachel, but he considers it worthwhile.

“It’s well worth it when I see students’ responses – the impact is what motivates me,” he said.

The night’s sponsors, Campus Crusade for Christ and other Christian organizations, heavily promoted the event. Bright green shirts emblazoned with “Missing Students” speckled campus crowds, fliers were distributed on Bruin Walk, and countless classroom chalkboards and whiteboards posted announcements of the event.

Feedback following the event was overwhelmingly positive.

“I thought tonight was great. This is the first time I’d heard about Rachel’s story,” said fourth-year psychobiology and English student Chris Fromm.

A friend invited Jennifer Du, a second-year psychology and political science student.

“I’m not the most religious person, but seeing how one person’s life can affect so many just opened my eyes ... I think that tonight was powerful for Christians and non-Christians alike. You walk away from it different than you were before,” she said.