Victoria Soto, a Sandy Hook Victim, to Have School Named After Her

Here is one measure in response to the Sandy Hook shootings that everyone can agree upon: A town council in Stratford, Conn., is set to vote on a proposal to name a new school after Victoria Soto, a 27-year old teacher who died trying to protect her students during the assault on the school.

Town Mayor John Harkins hopes to additionally construct a memorial to Soto, a Stratford resident. “We must make sure her sacrifice is never forgotten,” he said.

Soto used herself as a human shield when armed gunman Adam Lanza stormed the building with a semi-automatic rifle and multiple other weapons, killing 20 students and 6 teachers, including herself. Though a comprehensive account of the events inside the school is far from complete, survivors reported that she hid her students in a closet and cupboards before putting herself between Lanza and the children.

At a memorial service on December 15, Harkins described her as “a teacher who cared more about her students than herself. That speaks volumes to her character, and her commitment and dedication.”

As many as 400 people attended Soto’s funeral.

“Victoria Soto certainly has a connection to HoneyspotSchool and it would be a wonderful tribute to her to name the new school after her… not because of how she died, but how she lived,” wrote a commenter on the Stratford Patch.

The vote will be taken on Monday night, exactly one month after the shootings. Hopefully it will pass, but seems like an easy sell.

This isn’t the only memorial set up to honor Soto. Soon after the shootings, Eastern Connecticut State University created the Victoria Soto Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund for students studying to be teachers with financial need.