Cool Kid Justin Miller raises awareness of sexual assault on campuses

ENCINO, Calif. (KABC) -- Our ABC7 Cool Kid for Thursday, May 4, is 17-year-old Justin Miller, who is raising awareness after watching a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses.

The result is a four-minute video that was written and produced entirely by high school students. The ambitious production was conceived by Miller, a senior at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, who had seen the film "The Hunting Ground."

The documentary had a significant impact on Miller.

"For me, that movie changed the way I look at the world and look at schools and how I'm going to experience my college experience," he said in an interview.

Miller, along with his fellow "Seniors With a Mission," originally made their short film with the intent of showing it to students at a larger forum. Unfortunately, the event did not happen. But in the process, they raised $7,000 that will be donated to the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica.

Despite the setback, Miller did not give up. He paid for 20 DVDs with his own money, so the documentary that inspired him could be shown at high schools throughout Los Angeles.

"We're going to change the statistic, because 2,000 of us can change the whole world, basically," Miller said. "The thing I want to see people do is: hold each other accountable and not be afraid to stand up for what they believe in, and not just be a bystander but actually have their voice heard.

"And if they see something wrong, say something," he added.

With a Cool Kid this motivated, it's no surprise Miller is heading to New York University to study film and television.

"If I make a film, I hope that it can change someone's life -- and hopefully make them want to be an activist and stand up for something in their community," he said.