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Local Students Show Their Support For Missing Nigerian Girls

By Pat Ciarrocchi        

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- "It could be us."

Those four words, from fresh faced catholic school girls at Mount St. Joseph's, cross 5,000 miles to Nigeria in an instant.

Frances McDermott says,"What would happen if 200 girls were taken out of the Mount? What would happen if 200 girls were taken from a school here?"

The students from the Mount chose to wear red to show solidarity.

At a prayer service, they join the call to bring back the 267 girls, pulled from their beds in a boarding school by Islamic militants.

U.S. political leaders are speaking out.

Nancy Pelosi said, "It's diabolical. We all have to do whatever we can to make sure those little girls are returned home."

Secretary of State John Kerry agreed, "The entire world should not only be condemning this outrage but should be doing everything possible to help Nigeria in the days ahead."

The extremist group, Boko Haram, has said it kidnapped the girls and plans to sell them into slavery.

Interpol is now circulating notices to other countries, for fear the kidnapped girls have been transported outside Nigeria.

At St. Hubert's School for Girls, students wore red too.

They used social media accounts to join the global campaign using the hashtag #bringbackourgirls.

For the young women at both Philadelphia catholic schools it's about awareness.

McDermott says,"There are people out there that don't support Western education and don't support women getting an education."

Caroline Carbone adds, "It makes you think how lucky you are to be able to go to a school where you are safe and comfortable."

The hope is that the social media campaign #bringbackourgirls moves the world to help, as the families of those kidnapped wait.

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