ORLANDO, Fla. – A group of about 27 Pine Hills students are in Washington, D.C., on Thursday ahead of Saturday's "March for Our Lives" rally.
The 27 students all attend Evans High School and are in a Pine Hills-based after-school program called Future Leaders United, through the United Foundation of Central Florida.
The students were already going to Washington, D.C. this weekend for a college tour and now they’ll be taking part of their spring break to protest gun laws.
"We’re all coming together as one. No matter where you’re from, shootings happen to anyone. We are all humans," Evans High School senior Kedrine Gayle said.
Gayle said her goal is to attend Howard University in the fall and someday become a doctor. Now, ahead of Saturday’s rally she now feels more optimistic that her dream can actually become a reality. This weekend, she and her classmates will get to tour Howard University, American University and George Washington University.
"It’s good that we’re exploring these schools because we have big aspirations," Gayle said.
News 6 spoke to Gayle last week when she and her classmates took part the walkout at Evans High School.
"We are going to continue to push for school safety. We are going to push for people to be more aware," Gayle said on March 14.
Similar to the walkout day, Saturday’s rally is also a big political push.
Sandra Fatmi headed up the spring break college tour and trip. She works with the after-school program.
"They’re excited to be here (Washington D.C.) because they want to show their support in taking back their community. They’re in school, they’re the ones being affected right now," Fatmi said.
Gayle’s mother in Orlando is like many parents: simply grateful.
"It’s a united force for them to be making a sacrifice to go to Washington to march and visit these universities. It gives them hope," she said.
The Evans High School seniors will return to Orlando on Sunday morning. They took a charter bus to Washington, D.C. The trip was made possible by donations from many sponsors, community partners, parents and alumni.
If you'd like to assist in this effort, go to www.unitedfoundationcf.org and click "Donate."