DISCLAIMER: This story contains discussions of sexual assault
At her lunch table, junior Sadie Koffman shared her plan to create a self-defense class. She was met with exclamations of enthusiasm from the seven other teenage girls with whom she was sitting.
All of the girls had little knowledge of how to protect themselves, yet they had heard the countless horror stories of women who mistakenly walked alone at night or got caught in a first date gone wrong. Because of this, they recognized that they should know how to protect themselves. Especially, as Sadie explained, with college looming ever-nearer.
From the research she had done, Sadie realized that the upcoming four years of discovery would be tainted by something much more dire: the possibility of being attacked, assaulted, or raped.
“[Since I’m in] junior year, I have been looking up colleges and majors,” Sadie said. “[But], I’ve also started looking up rape rates for colleges. I was like, ‘Am I just an odd one out, or are other girls also worried about [this]?’ I started reaching out to junior and senior girls, and some said ‘No,’ but the majority that I asked were thinking about it. Maybe they didn’t research it, but it was in the back of their minds.”
Concerns about safety are undoubtedly not what any prospective student wants to consider. However, for women across the nation, this is a prime factor in determining where they will spend their next few years.
Like many of her classmates, Sadie’s college search led her to research in-state colleges like Michigan State University (MSU) and University of Michigan. Yet, particularly at these massive institutions, the prospect of danger becomes apparent.
For example, the sheer number of assault cases that occur can be seen in a 2015 MSU campus survey. In the study, almost 25% of female undergraduates shared that they had been sexually assaulted during their time at the school. For almost half of those cases, rape was either attempted or completed. And this, of course, was over a decade ago. With the rising number of campus sexual assault cases, these statistics would be all the more jarring if from 2025.
For newly-hired principal Jonathan Haga, the facts of college campus assault are an alarming yet harsh reality to which students need to be aware.
“I think that Sadie bringing this up brings up a hard-to-talk-about subject,” Haga said, “but the fact of the matter is that rape rates are up amongst freshman and sophomore year [students]. Just that idea of being aware of your surroundings, being aware of what to look for, making sure you put yourself in safe situations, and making sure that we’re all on the same page can help [us] understand what it means to be safe.”
On top of the concerns about MSU—the school that a significant portion of each FHC graduating class attends—Sadie was made aware of the general trend of college-campus assaults.
In particular, Sadie became aware of the darker possibilities that the autumn semester of college holds. In addition to football games and social gatherings, the start of each school year brings the infamous “Red Zone.” This period lasts from the beginning of the year, typically in September, until Thanksgiving Break. During this interval, over 50% of college-campus sexual assaults occur. And for students new to campus—like the outgoing seniors of FHC’s Class of 2025—this period is all the more dangerous.
Learning about the sickening facts of her upcoming university experience, Sadie decided to take action before her and her peers entered new campuses. The prime solution for this, she realized, would be to educate the FHC student body on self-defense.
To carry out her plan, Sadie consulted with Haga, who has since helped her formulate its logistics.
“Shoutout to Sadie,” Haga said, “who’s thinking about not only now but the future. Prom’s right around the corner, [and] a lot of our seniors are going off to universities. Her forethought is allowing a lot of Rangers to feel a little bit more safe. I think that when students have the opportunity to create extended opportunities for other students, those are things that a student is noticing as a potential growth area for the student body. Our ability to allow that to happen as well as help promote it really promotes a sense of identity as Rangers and as a school.”
With Haga’s backing, Sadie went on to plan her course for FHC students. The upcoming event is targeted toward teenage girls, and it focuses on defense tactics for the smaller person in a physical struggle. A fitting title, the event falls under the non-profit organization that Sadie has created for her mission, EmpowerU.
However, with limited security knowledge, Sadie needed to enlist the help of a professional. As a long-time specialist in defense and security, Sadie contacted local expert Craig Gray.
Gray is the head instructor and owner of Ronin Martial Arts Academy, located in downtown Grand Rapids. As a trainer, he has over 35 years of experience in security services, martial arts, and defense tactics. He worked the job of a bodyguard and later taught at the now-disbanded organization of Self Help Against Rape. Following the program’s closing, he developed the program The Psychology of Self Defense, which has since split into two parts.
Now, Gray uses his skill to educate those in the Grand Rapids area.
“For the past several decades I have continued to work with people and organizations who want to learn how to protect themselves and live more powerful lives,” Gray said. “Embracing your true identity as a protector and developing some simple skills to handle conflict inside yourself and with others will change your entire life.”
Gray will be the head instructor for the EmpowerU class, with Sadie helping where she can.
The event is set to take place on March 22 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at FHC’s New Gym. The course costs $20, with half of the proceeds serving as a donation to local nonprofit Safe Haven Ministries, an organization that works to combat relationship abuse and human trafficking.
In the upcoming event, students will learn more than just how to physically defend themselves. In addition, they can expect to discover how to watch out for and prevent hazardous situations before they fully develop, learning about the principles of mindset, awareness, and influence.
“Being isolated physically or emotionally or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs or being emotionally vulnerable [are indicators of dangerous situations],” Gray said. “[However], remember you were born a powerful protector. Listen to your gut and don’t think twice about drawing clear, strong boundaries or walking away from a situation that doesn’t feel ‘right’ to you. Be confident, stay alert, and look like a tough target.”
Even for students not planning to attend college, EmpowerU’s class will benefit them. Unfortunately, knowing the basics of self-defense can be needed at any time, whether in college, in a neighborhood, or simply at the store. While learning self-defense may seem like it can be simply pushed aside for another day, being prepared and able to prevent danger should be a skill that every woman has.
As she helps to make the FHC community safer and more aware, Sadie highly encourages her peers to sign up and learn how to stay safe.
“I’m hoping that [participants] will just feel more prepared and safer,” Sadie said, “that they can feel [less] scared to go to college for that reason. You want to be excited [for college]. If I go to a party, I want to be able to know what I should do [if something happens] and figure out the signs and signals of certain [behaviors].”
This story was originally published on The Central Trend on March 11, 2025.
