MICHELLE KUIPER: My truth started in 1994. I was a freshman in college and I was sitting on my front porch that night. I felt like I was falling backwards but then I realized someone had me, and he proceeded to drag me in between the two homes under a neighbor's deck, and that's where he assaulted me.
They asked me if I would be willing to do a rape kit. I didn't even know what that entailed. I just said "yes" because I wanted to do everything I can in assisting them to catch the person who did this, who was a stranger. Three years later they tested it. His DNA was not in CODIS because here in Kentucky, we only have DNA upon conviction. From the time he did that to me, he was not swabbed for another felony crime until 2009, and then that was backlogged. It was March of 2011, they got the hit in CODIS that he matched three cases. Then I felt like, could we possibly use or reframe what had happened to me so other people wouldn't have to wait almost 20 years for justice like I did?
WHITNEY WESTERFIELD, STATE SENATOR, KENTUCKY: Michelle's desire to push and go back into the fire time and time again to advocate for survivors inspires me and inspires other legislators to keep up pushing that fight.
MICHELLE KUIPER: A couple years ago we started in an issue of having over 5,000 untested and unsubmitted sexual assault forensic exams. Every kit was a person, and we needed to test these. And now we are one of the states that are in the forefront of sexual assault kit reform.
EILEEN RECKTENWALD, MSW, PHD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAMS: Michelle has really shown a lot of courage to other survivors, and they have, in turn, become courageous themselves. So there are other survivors on the Survivor Council who have brought bills this session following her lead.
MICHELLE KUIPER: So I do think that people take notice once survivors start speaking. And we do have a power in that. I remember vividly one of the girls said, "Oh, my gosh," like, "We've never met anyone who was a student on campus that went through something like this where they actually got justice."
PROF. CAROL E. JORDAN, MS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE FOR POLICY STUDIES ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY: She decided—very bravely, I think—to come back into the university setting. And she is fully enrolled in this university. She's now a sophomore at this university and making stellar grades.
MICHELLE KUIPER: Courage is my wings. It's my way of being able to hopefully give courage to other people, because that's what the people here in Kentucky have done for me.
