Teen hopes session can save a life

By Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 05/15/2008 03:10:39 PM MDT

THORNTON — Kylie Kildow was stumped. She had to do 30 hours of community service as a part of the National Junior Honor Society; she just wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She loved animals so she thought about the shelters.

Then something more personal came to mind. "Because of my cousin Lacy and what happened,"the 13-year-old from Thornton said, before pausing. "Well, maybe we can help save someone's life." On Wednesday, Rocky Top Middle School in Thornton hosted the result of that thinking: a mini-conference on teen safety, including the story of Kylie's cousin Lacy Miller. Five years ago in Fort Collins, a man impersonating an officer kidnapped and killed Miller, a 20-year-old University of Northern Colorado student. Carol and Kylie began with talking to Miller's mother, Wendy Cohen, who began a foundation in her daughter's memory. Cohen, in turn, introduced the Kildows to Nicole Sundine of Realistic Safety Solutions. From those meetings, the program was set. "She wanted to do something that mattered," Carol Kildow, Kylie's mother said. Kylie wanted to focus on issues important to teens. "They gave us a list of seven topics. I chose five and Mom chose five and we negotiated about the importance," Kylie said. In the end, they agreed on "Defining Personal Boundaries," "Safe Dating Plans," and "10 Mandatory Internet Rules." The conference addressed many items that Cohen wishes she had the opportunity to talk to Miller about. "I don't regret anything about parenting," Cohen said. "I regret that she didn't know what to do, that she didn't have a plan." A plan is the key to staying safe, Sundine said. "This is definitely different than what a lot of the other NJHS kids do," said Hayley Miller, one of the advisers of Rocky Top's NJHS chapter. Dennis Flodeen, the other adviser agreed: "She persevered and put a lot of effort into this; but, the sky's the limit for community service projects." The effort won't end with Wednesday night's event either. Discussions are already underway to bring back Cohen and Sundine in the fall. "Every month we have a community night, like Math Night or Science Night, where the community can come in and participate," Flodeen said. "This could likely become one of those nights." It's a plan that encourages Kylie. However, she'd be happy with saving just one life.