Nigeria, April 17 -- In the 12th year since the abduction, the Chibok girls at the American University of Nigeria are more hopeful than despondent. Still prayerful and cautious, of course, they have since acquired a defiant voice for self-expression tempered by a deep sense of gratitude to everyone who has contributed to their healing journey.

On Tuesday, the university community rallied in solidarity with the entire Chibok community to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the infamous kidnapping, the night 276 schoolgirls were taken by the insurgents, with 187 still unaccounted for, by some accounts.

The day was not one of grief but of hope and purpose. On this solemn anniversary, the AUN community-students, faculty, administrators, and...