On March 30th, 2016, I found out that I was accepted into the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World.

You can imagine how exciting this piece of news was.

I, along with a few friends, had just spent the majority of our spring break volunteering for Jesus People USA. We had a wonderful time serving and getting to know the people in that community, so that email was just the icing on the cake. I couldn’t have had a better week. And for the next few weeks, all I could think about was my upcoming adventure in Orlando. I was so excited to work for this great company and get to meet people from all over the world. Although I have yet to visit the city, I already consider Orlando my home away from home.

As you most likely have heard by now, Orlando has unfortunately been the setting for several tragic incidents that have resulted in near-constant media coverage. I am utterly devastated. And even then, that word cannot accurately describe my feelings on the matter. I am horrified that someone can take the life of an innocent and believe it is justified. It is incomprehensible that a person can become so angry, they think the solution to their problems and issues is to harm others.

It is painful to think about the many families who are now mourning their loved ones.

The first question that is usually asked after a tragedy is:

“Why?” Why do tragedies like this happen?

Now, I am not the most suitable person to try to answer this question. Theories alone will do nothing to erase or even come close to ease the pain countless people are feeling in the aftermath of these atrocities.

However, I feel that it is important to answer this next question:

“How can we help prevent this from happening again?”

As far as I have seen, the majority of people who have heard about the events in Orlando bring up politics. This conversation, while tiring, is needed. People are discussing what they think is the solution to a major problem that America has. And while I may not agree with everything that is said, I am glad people are wanting to put a stop to these mass shootings. That gives me faith. But there is a right and wrong way to discuss this.

Following the news of these tragedies, I have noticed people putting less emphasis on the victims' suffering and more on personal political agendas. To be quite honest, this is just as reprehensible as any Islamophobic comment I see on social media. Over 50 people died last week of gun violence, and some people think this is a wonderful opportunity to endorse this president or argue with this person or anything other than providing words of support and encouragement to those around them. I do agree there needs to be something done about how ridiculously easy it is to purchase a gun in this country. But still, there is something better we can do than argue online about it.

Walt Disney World is called “The Most Magical Place on Earth”. This is true for so many people. However, it is my firm belief that we can make any place just as magical as Disney is for the entire world. It is essential that we, as human beings, look past any differences and disagreements we may have. There is nothing more important than treating others with respect and helping someone in need. We must not let our own personal beliefs get in the way of this. We need to show love to the families and friends of Christina Grimmie. To the families and friends to those who died in Pulse To everyone around us.Many people have asked if I still intend on doing my DCP. If anything, I am more motivated to go to Orlando and make a difference myself.