Upper School Students travel to Washington to advocate for Alyssa’s Act

For Saint Andrew’s students Olivia Peskin ’26 and Nana Wang ’27, advocacy for school safety is not just an extracurricular activity; it is deeply personal, purposeful work driven by lived experience, passion, and a belief that student voices can create real change.

Through their leadership in the Make Our Schools Safe (MOSS) Club, the two were selected as 2 of only 10 students out of more than 700 members nationwide to travel to Washington, D.C., and lobby lawmakers at the United States Capitol in support of Alyssa's Act, federal legislation aimed at establishing national standards for school emergency response systems including the installation of panic buttons and establishing a centalized school safety data center in every school.

Both students trace their commitment to school safety to their own personal experiences.

For Olivia, awareness began at a very young age.

“Since first grade, school shootings felt normal to me,” she said. “My mom would give me things like a doorstop or even talked about an armored backpack. At the time, I thought that was just part of going to school.”

Growing up on Long Island near the site of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, Olivia later found ways to be more proactive in high school through advocacy organizations and student leadership work.

Nana’s motivation is rooted in her hometown.

“I’ve lived in Parkland my whole life,” she explained. “I saw firsthand how being underprepared can change an entire community and how preventable it could have been.”

Following the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Nana’s family made the decision to move her to Saint Andrew’s. The experience shaped her commitment to ensuring safety equity for all students.

“Not everyone has the luxury of transferring to a different school,” she said. “There shouldn’t be one school down the street that’s safer than another. There should be one standard for safety everywhere.”

At Saint Andrew’s, the MOSS Club has grown steadily over the past two years to include approximately 20 student members. Olivia and Nana serve as key leaders, helping to guide meetings, recruit members, and connect the club’s local work with the broader national organization.

Their involvement extends far beyond campus. Both students intern with MOSS leadership, assist with media and outreach efforts, attend statewide events, and maintain close relationships with founder Lori Alhadeff and club director Allison Cohen.

On campus, they are intentional about building a culture centered on kindness, awareness, and prevention. Recent initiatives include partnering with the Saint Andrew’s Dance Marathon (SADM) Club. At this year’s Dance Marathon, MOSS will have a table set up with a rock-painting activity where students write encouraging messages that foster positivity and community connection. The goal is to transform those painted rocks into a permanent campus kindness garden and a daily reminder of empathy and support.

This year, the eighth anniversary of the Parkland shooting, Olivia and Nana also participated in meaningful service and remembrance activities surrounding the anniversary of the Parkland tragedy. They attended a candlelight vigil in Parkland, joining students and community members in honoring the lives lost. In addition, they volunteered at a Day of Service and Love initiative, helping organize a food drive at a local library to support families in need.

In Washington, D.C, Olivia and Nana joined students from across the country to meet directly with lawmakers, attend press events, and advocate for federal support of school safety legislation.

“It was definitely the coolest day of my life,” Olivia said. “We were sitting in congressional offices, talking directly with representatives, and they truly listened.”

The students met with multiple members of Congress and other advocates, including Congressman Jared Moskowitz, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, Congressman Burgess Owens, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Congressman Greg Steube, and Max Schachter, founder of Safe Schools for Alex. During their meetings, the students shared personal stories about why school safety matters to them.

“We are the ones at risk every single day,” Nana said. “Those 17 students that we lost in 2018, it could have been us. I think that's just so impactful for them to see and hear our voices and our own stories.”

The trip also strengthened their connection to a national network of student advocates.

“One thing we didn’t realize before joining MOSS,” Olivia added, “is that you’re joining an incredible community of students who all share the same passion.”

Both students remain focused on expanding support for Alyssa’s Act and strengthening student engagement.

Olivia plans to continue her work with MOSS at Saint Andrew’s and locally, while also carrying her advocacy to the college level when she heads off in the fall. With the organization exploring the creation of chapters on college campuses nationwide, she hopes to help grow that next phase of student-led impact wherever she ultimately enrolls.

“The major goal right now is to get more co-sponsors. So if that means outreach or letter writing, then I think we're going to focus on that,” she said. “But when I get to college, whatever state I end up in, if it's not Florida, that's also going to be helpful to maybe get that representative to support Alyssa's Act.”

Nana hopes to continue building awareness and engagement through the MOSS Club at Saint Andrew’s and throughout the local community.

“Telling my parents, my teachers, my siblings, telling them to tell their friends and family to email their legislators, that's what's really going to make an impact because at the end of the day, our current goal right now is to get Alyssa's Act passed on a federal level,” she said. “And like Lori always says, our voices are our power.”

Through their leadership, compassion, and determination, Olivia and Nana demonstrate how student advocacy can transform tragedy into purpose, not only influencing national conversations on school safety but also strengthening community and awareness right here at Saint Andrew’s.