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Professor Leslie Ricklin noticed it early on. Victoria Soto was different than the other teacher candidates in Ricklin's social-studies methods course at Eastern Connecticut State University.
It wasn't Vicki Leigh Soto's boundless energy or even the effortless way that she became a leader in the class.
It was what she did with the information. She took it in, and turned, almost palpably, Ricklin recalls, to a point in the future, to a time when she herself would be in front of an elementary school class. And she envisioned, and crafted, how she would teach that lesson to not only a classroom of children, but to a group of kids of different aptitudes and attention spans and home lives.
"She just didn't sit in your class,'' Rifkin said of Soto. "She absorbed your class. We are talking about some controversial issues. Christopher Columbus; the definition of a family. ... Vicki would be figuring out how she would make it hers, so she could pass it on. Teaching was not an abstraction to her.''
Does this help explain what Soto would do nearly five years later when gunman Adam Lanza entered her classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School after slaughtering every child and teacher Lauren Rosseau in the next room? She ushered special education teacher Anne Marie Murphy and several children under her desk. She moved other children behind a bookcase or barrier. When Lanza came in, Soto was the only one he saw. She faced him. He killed her, and then he killed the children and Murphy under the desk. Murphy died shielding a child in her arms. Other children escaped the classroom. Soto's actions saved children's lives.
Only God knows what guided her. But a construct emerges when the recollections of people who knew her over the 27 years of her life are considered:
Vicki Soto had worked consciously for as long as 13 years, since she was a freshman at Stratford High School, to become an impeccably prepared school teacher. She milked every class, every student-teaching opportunity, every internship, every assignment as a substitute teacher, every tutoring session she gave, every week of the three years she taught first grade at Sandy Hook Elementary, to amass the tools that she decided she needed to be a complete teacher for every single kid in her classroom.
So it is likely then, coming of age as she did following the Virginia Tech massacre, in an era when the term "active shooter" joined our lexicon, that she also milked every safety drill at Sandy Hook Elementary for everything it was worth, that she envisioned herself responding in a crisis in the same way that she had seen herself explaining to students that a child could have two mommies, or that there were already folks here when Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. It is plausible that she had decided what she would do, and that she acted on that decision when the time came.
"She was the last one who wanted hero status,'' said Mary Foreman, Soto's mentor when she was a student teacher in Foreman's class at Brewster School in Durham. "What a selfless act, and what a legacy."
"The last lesson she taught,'' said Foreman, "is that a teacher will do anything to protect her children.''
Rock Of Family
Soto grew up in a Cape-Cod style home on close-knit, middle-class Knowlton Street in Stratford, with younger sisters Jillian and Carlee, and younger brother Carlos Matthew.
Her father, Carlos, has worked for more than 22 years as a heavy-equipment operator for the state Department of Transportation. He works on highway bridges and was a union safety steward. Her mother, Donna, has been a nurse at Bridgeport Hospital for 28 years. In 2004, Donna Soto won a Nightingale award from a regional nursing association for having a marked impact on her patients, "going beyond the call of duty" and "demonstrating excellence."
Soto also drew inspiration from her aunt, Debra Lee Cronk, who retired in June after a long career as an elementary school teacher in Stratford. Soto had a close relationship with a cousin, James Wiltsie of Stratford, a ramrod-straight Marine who fought in Somalia in the early 1990s.
"I watched her since birth,'' Wiltsie, 39, said. "Vicki took charge. She was the ringleader of the family ... from Secret Santa to family vacations. She was the rock of the family. The driving force."
Her work ethic and comitment to school set an example for her sisters and brother, Wiltsie said.
At 10 years old, Soto was belting out spiritual songs in the children's choir at Lordship Community Church in Stratford.
"She came from a very strong churchgoing family,'' said the Rev. Meg Williams, pastor of the Lordship church at the time. "And she was full of positive energy, and had that bright smile.''
Williams left that posting 12 years ago.
She presided over Soto's funeral last week.
"I had to come back,'' she said.
At 14, as a freshman at Stratford High, Soto was already talking about becoming a school teacher like her Aunt Deb, said high school friend Jessica Zrallack.
"She was just that girl in school, with this welcoming, friendly face; you couldn't dislike her,'' said Zrallack, who went on to serve six years in the National Guard and now works in the U.S. Department of State's passport agency in Stamford.
This was the generation before Facebook friends and sexting.
"Friendships were real, and we were a small, close community,'' said Zrallack.
"Vicki wanted to be a teacher and she set about making it happen,'' Zrallack said. "What else can you ask for but to be living your dream."
She stood on line for five hours at Soto's wake.
"I would have stood in line for a week,'' Zrallack said, "to shake the hands of the parents who raised a hero."
'Vicki Made The Plans'
Soto enrolled in the education program at Eastern in 2004.
She made the transition to a busy campus environment with her trademark ease.
"I met her as a freshman,'' said Rachael Schiavone, a communications major who now works in the media field. "She was just a ball of energy. She had this excitement for life. I wanted to be her friend and I wanted to be her roommate.''
The two would become best friends and live together on campus for three years.
Socially, "Vicki made the plans. She was the one who got things going and got us together,'' said Schiavone.
In the classroom, "she was among the leaders,'' said Professor Hari Koirala, the chairman of education department who taught math methods and geometry courses to Soto.
"You know, she was bound to be an excellent teacher,'' Koirala said. "She asked herself: 'How will I teach this to my kids?" She wasn't learning only for herself."
"There are a lot of variations among teacher candidates,'' Koirala said. "In math, some will say, 'Do I really need to do this?' But Vicki was trying to get all she could out of it. She never gave up.''
Ricklin, an oft-consulted expert in secondary education at Eastern, said she only had one regret concerning Soto.
"I wish I was her adviser,'' Ricklin said. "I could have known her better, beyond the context of my classroom.''
Schiavone and Soto remained close after college.
"I saw her do amazing things at Sandy Hook. She'd be up late at night, doing billboards, coming up with all these activities,'' said Schiavone. "This was a person who knew the value of every day of life, and she shared that. When she hugged you, you felt her putting her whole body into it. She was genuinely happy to see you."
"Maybe that is what I miss the most right now, actually feeling one of her hugs.''
'She Hung In There'
Soto's student-teaching assignment took her from Eastern's Willimantic campus to Brewster School in the rural Durham-Middlefield district.
She was assigned to Mary Foreman's kindergarten class.
It didn't take her long to make her usual impression.
"We had an initial meeting. 'Was I a good fit for her? Was she a good fit for me?' That sort of thing. Well, let me tell you. I didn't hesitate. I got such a good feeling from her.''
At Brewster, Soto would go "over and beyond what was required,'' Foreman said. "She did projects. Her morning greeting was to teach the kids how to say 'hello' in different languages. Vicki wanted to experience every part of teaching. The kids loved her. She was the total package with all the natural instincts.''
After leaving Foreman's tutelage and graduating from Eastern, Soto took on work as a substitute.
"She hung in there. She didn't get a position right away,'' Foreman said.
The day after the massacre, a former Brewster parent called Foreman. "She said to me, 'Wasn't that our Vicki Soto?' It smacked me between the eyes. But I told myself not to come apart. I said, 'Honor her, Mary. Be strong like she would be.'"
"One thing I know for certain,'' said Foreman, who retired five years ago after 30 years of teaching. "Vicki Soto taught me more than I ever taught her.''
Stood Her Ground
Shortly after landing a position at Sandy Hook Elementary five years ago, Soto began tutoring a boy named Matthew Snellman, who was struggling mightily with math.
Timothy Snellman watched with a mixture of awe and gratitude as his boy quickly blossomed in school.
"His performance improved, so I made it a point to talk to Vicki after each session. She told me, 'This is what he needs; this is how he's doing.' This was a young woman on top of her game,'' said Snellman, 48, a Navy veteran and third-generation building contractor.
"She had this no-nonsense approach, but the kids all sensed her compassion and she was very understanding. She walked the walk,'' Snellman said.
In recent months, Soto was shuttling between Sandy Hook Elementary and night classes at Southern Connecticut State University, where she was pursuing a master's degree in special education. Her concentration was in learning disabilities.
But it was the impression of her adviser at Southern, Professor Louise Spear-Swerling, that Soto did not want to become a special education teacher.
"I think she wanted to remain a general ed teacher, but gain this knowledge to really benefit her kids. She had children with special needs and there is a federal mandate to mainstream them. She wanted to be able to reach every child in her class,'' said Spear-Swerling. "She was also very interested in her courses on teaching reading to at-risk kids. First grade is such a critical year for reading."
"We are really putting a tremendous amount of responsibility on these young teachers, who are mostly young women. Vicki embraced the challenge. But I don't know if she was thinking that she would ever have to put her life on the line. So just the fact that she was so courageous was incredible.''
In the hours after the massacre, Wiltsie, Soto's cousin, would share with the media some of what police investigators told him about Soto's actions.
Snellman was floored by the accounts.
"She faces someone, a killer, with a rifle? And she stood her ground? That's one in a million,'' said Snellman.
"I feel honored now that she was involved in my son's life. I will live here in Newtown forever. I would never leave this town, not after what Soto and some of the others tried to do.''


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X-Ring Newsletter
Technical Newsletter From Your Ballistic TechniciansVolume 2012, Issue Fall
Fall...My Favorite Time of the Year
Duane Siercks
Duane Siercks
The cooler days and nights, the occasional frosty morning, the warm afternoons, and then the color changes all around. This is the time to really be outside and there is so much to do.
This brings to mind the focal point of my favorite pastime, hunting. The preparation and scouting that helps us be our best at whatever type of hunting we choose. Now would be a great time to start checking over the equipment and to also get the reloading press going. Time to get the ammo loaded and/or loads worked up for that new firearm. Then to get the scope zeroed in and have time to practice. These things are often put off until the very last minute. This can quite often lead to some severe frustration when things just don't quite work as well as we had planned. Then we don't have time to get things fixed or a chance to work on that load to make the ol' gun shoot like it should. Just reminding you that this still needs to be done while you have time.
This is also an excellent time to get the new hunters out to the range and let them get some experience with their firearm of choice. I remember starting my daughter out with her first attempt at shooting the deer rifle to prepare for her first hunt. We still recall the many shooting sessions and time spent together. If I had it to do again, I would have a lot more pictures of the preparations as well as the results. The best experiences seem to happen when there is no camera, unfortunately. (Remember, we like to see your pictures also.)
There are many hunting opportunities that are actually taking place now, depending on your location. Such as antelope seasons in some of the western states, black bear seasons in many places this next month as well as elk and mule deer and then of course whitetail hunting practically everywhere. With the wide array of seasons and methods, one will stay busy just trying to decide which season and method will get their attention.
We here at Sierra will be pleased to help you with any of your reloading situations or problems. We can help you with those important trajectory questions that you may have. We can also help you to know where you should sight in to get the best zero for your situation. Feel free to call us at 1-800-223-8799 or e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com with any questions you might have. We can provide you with load data and perhaps give some tips to help you with your reloading as well.
Remember to enjoy your time in the field and be safe.
Share Your Story
Have a great Sierra Bullets story from a match or hunt? Send your story and picture to firstname.lastname@example.com. By submitting your images and stories, you are authorizing Sierra Bullets to use the image for the website and select marketing materials as deemed by the marketing department. Sierra Bullets reserves the right to edit submitted text. Phone numbers and email addresses will not be published, only used to contact you if we have questions or need clarification.
Great for Targets - Not for Hunting
By Philip Mahin
By Philip Mahin
Although Sierra's MatchKing bullets are recognized around the world for record-setting accuracy, they are not recommended for hunting because of their definition as a nonexpanding bullet. Despite this, hunters from all walks have used our MatchKings on a wide variety of game animals.
Fired Sierra 168 gr. HPBT MatchKing (#2200)
sent in by Joey M. of South Carolina
Fired Sierra 168 gr. HPBT MatchKing (#2200)
sent in by Joey M. of South Carolina
Sierra customer Joey wrote, "The bullet was fired from a custom-built Lawton 7000 SA rife with a 22" barrel and 1-10 barrel twist, 308 caliber. The target was a 30-gallon plastic drum filled with water and plugged. It was set up at 850 yards. The bullet was on target (bottom 3rd of the drum), went through the front side of the drum, through the water, and lodged in the back side of the drum. The bullet did not deform and did not penetrate the back side of the drum."
We get a lot of calls from varmint hunters that are using MatchKings with satisfactory results. A fast bullet on a small target can make a big show, but water is a hard media, much harder than most game animals that we hunt for food or control, and proves why Sierra does not recommend MatchKing bullets for hunting.
Tour the Sierra Bullets Facility
Come and see how Sierra Bullets are made - from raw material through the industries strictest quality assurance processes. Visitors are welcome in our facility and advance reservations are not required for groups smaller than 10. Tours are available Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 4:40 pm. Large groups require one week notice, but for families or individuals, come on in and we'll make the delay as short as possible. The tour will take approximately 45 minutes. The Sierra Bullets facility is handicapped accessible. There is no cost for the tour.
Reloading Sierra's Two Newest MatchKings in
.308 Winchester - 125 & 135 Grainers
By Robert Treece
.308 Winchester - 125 & 135 Grainers
By Robert Treece
No specific data has been compiled as of yet - expect the 125 grainer (stock #2121) to be "lumped" in with the other 125 grain data and just play with your oal; around 2.800".
For the 135 grainer (stock #2123)-can use 150 grain data and expect to be able to bump max up from 1 to 1.5 grains for the lighter bullet, just work it up; oal with it having a boat tail, around 2.650".
Hope this helps-good shooting and thanks for using our products!
If you don't have the latest Sierra reloading manual but are interested in trying either or both projectiles-give us a call (800) 223-8799; we'll try to give you a place to start, even for another cartridge if feasible!
Should I Outside Neck Turn My Brass?
By Paul Box
By Paul Box
This is a question we get just about every week. Should I neck turn my brass? Well, the answer can be yes....and no. Let's look a little deeper into it.
Naturally, if we had our favorite gunsmith chamber a rifle with a "fitted" neck we'll have to neck turn in order for it to fit our chamber. But what about a standard SAAMI spec chamber? This all depends on the quality of your brass. Namely your case neck thickness variation. What I do is take a ball Mic and check the case neck thickness at "8:00 o'clock, 12:00 and 4:00 o'clock points. If my thickness variation is .001" or less, I wouldn't outside neck turn. Unless we're shooting 1,000 yd. benchrest I don't think you'll see any difference in accuracy if this thickness difference is any smaller than that.
Our main goal in outside neck turning is to give our seating die it's best chance to seat a bullet with good concentricity with as little of run out as possible. This puts our bullet in better alignment with the center of the case body and in a squared and trued action, more perfect alignment with the bore.
Brass that has a neck thickness difference that's more than .001"can be turned down to this spec and will shoot fine. They'll also have the advantage of not being too thin, which will give early case neck splits and short case life.


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John Campbell Hindman Jr. of Calabash, N.C., died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012.
He was born in Bethlehem on Oct. 13, 1942, and was the son of the late John C. and Ruth Knies Hindman Sr.
He was a retired postal employee and a U.S. Navy veteran, and an associate of Calabash VFW Post 7288.
Surviving are his wife, Norberta Ace Hindman, at home; a son, John Craig Hindman and his wife, Michelle, of Arnold, Md.; a daughter, Debra H. Nickischer and her husband, Jeff, of Wallingford, Conn.; a sister, Linda Barrett, of DeBary, Fla.; and four grandchildren: Ben Hindman, Addie Hindman, Kurtis Nickischer and Connor Nickischer.
A Celebration of Life service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26, in the chapel of Brunswick Funeral Service, 5229 Ocean Highway West, Shallotte, N.C.
Memorials may be directed to: American Heart Association, P.O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058; American Cancer Society, 2202 Wrightsville Ave., Suite 122, Wilmington, NC 28403; Multiple Sclerosis Society, 9801 Southern Pines Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273; or Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place, Landover, MD 20785.
Brunswick Funeral Service/Crematory
5229 Ocean Highway West
Shallotte, N.C.
John Campbell Hindman Jr.
John Campbell Hindman Jr. of Calabash, N.C., died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012.