The next time you head into school, make sure to keep your eyes open for the hundreds of daffodils planted by the parking deck. Not only are these daffodils pretty to look at, they have an important meaning behind them. Planted by seniors Jessica Milburn and Nathan Luxemburger for their IB Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) project, each flower represents a child who died during the Holocaust.

Their efforts were part of a larger project called The Daffodil Project which is an initiative to have 1.5 million daffodils planted around the nation by volunteers for each of the child victims of the Holocaust. Milburn and Luxemburger planted 450 flowers to the cause. However, they didn’t stop there. They also arranged for a Holocaust survivor to share their first-hand experience with the volunteers who had helped out with the project.

Although the project was a major success in the end, undertaking something of this scope is bound to come with some challenges. Getting approval from North Atlanta, coordinating with the school’s landscaping team, and figuring out how to deal with poor soil quality were just a few of the problems Milburn and Luxemburger had to deal with.

However, for Milburn and Luxemburger, these complications were miniscule compared to the big picture. Being Jewish, they have always felt a personal connection to the Holocaust, and she wanted to make sure that this horrific event will not be forgotten. “I think it’s important that we planted daffodils because year after year, they will keep coming back,” said Milburn.

While some people may think that something as small as a flower is inconsequential, this project just goes to show that even little things can make a big difference. These hundreds of daffodils will continue to remind students long after Milburn and Luxemburger have graduated of the horrors of the Holocaust. “I hope that this will bring a positive message to the school of remembrance, tolerance, and compassion,” said Luxemburger.