SACO — Fourteen-year-old Thornton Academy freshman Suzanne Hanvey has always been interested in political and social change.

As a little girl, she wanted to become president of the world. “I had a whole plan, actually. I was first going to become president of every individual place and then bring them all together and become president of the world and make peace every where,” she said.

Last year, Suzanne, along with members of her family attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., and a protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration order. 

Suzanne will be marching again. She is the organizer for a local march of the National School Walkout, one of four such scheduled marches in Maine thus far.  

The National School Walkout, hosted by Women’s March Youth Empower, is calling for students, teachers, and school community members across the country to take part in a walkout for 17 minutes at 10 a.m on March 14 “to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods,” according to information from the National School Walkout Facebook page.  

March 14 will mark the one-month anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. The 17 minutes symbolizes the 17 students that died as a result of the shooting.

“I wanted to show support, and I wanted to show that there needs to be a change, and that something needs to happen or bad stuff will continue to happen such as shootings,” said Suzanne. “I wanted to show that we can make a change at such a young age. We can make a difference.”

Suzanne said on March 14 participants will meet in front of Thornton Academy and march peacefully to Saco City Hall.

Suzanne said in addition to local students, her mother and brother and the parent of another student will be joining, and members of the greater community are invited to march. 

“I wouldn’t say I hope to accomplish anything on a national level, but I do hope to accomplish more on a local level first before moving on to the national level. If you focus on the national level, and you focus on the big picture, you’re not going to get anywhere, really. You have to focus on the smaller pictures and put all the pieces together. I hope we can accomplish something in Maine or at least in Saco,” she said. 

Suzanne said she believes the country needs more gun control. She said she believes semi-automatic weapons should be used only by the military and not be sold to the general public. 

“I’m very proud of her. I think it’s important to be engaged in the world,” said her mother, Gennyfer. “She has a huge heart and a very well defined sense of right and wrong and so when she sees something wrong she wants to make a change.”

Thornton Academy Headmaster Rene Menard said he has heard about the walkout, but as this is school vacation week there hasn’t been an opportunity for faculty to discuss how the school response. He said after school is back in session next week there will be discussions involving faculty and staff regarding the National School Walkout.

For more information on the National School Walkout in Saco, email Suzanne at [email protected].

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].