ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly 10 years after the Pulse nightclub shooting, one Orlando mother is continuing to turn grief into action.

What You Need To Know

Mayra Alvear traveled to Washington, D.C. to share her daughter’s story with lawmakers

Amanda Alvear was one of 49 victims killed in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting

Her story is featured in the “30 Under 30” magazine honoring young lives lost to gun violence

Alvear says she will continue to advocate to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss

Mayra Alvear traveled to Washington, D.C., bringing her daughter Amanda Alvear’s story directly to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Amanda was among the 49 people killed in the 2016 tragedy. During the trip, Alvear joined other families from across the country as part of the “30 Under 30” special edition magazine, a national project created by Change the Ref that honors young lives lost to gun violence before the age of 30.

The group gathered with lawmakers and hand-delivered copies of the magazine, hoping to put faces and stories behind the issue of gun violence.

Alvear said the goal was to make sure Amanda is remembered for who she was, not just how she died.

“Amanda was fun, the life of the party, the life in the house. She was very caring, very outgoing. She loved life, full of energy. She had a big heart. She was beautiful inside and out,” Alvear said.

Amanda had plans to work in the medical field, with dreams of becoming a midwife and helping others, goals her mother says were taken too soon.

Now, Alvear says sharing her daughter’s story is part of keeping her legacy alive.

“It gave her a voice. She’s not just a name. She’s not a statistic. This is a way people get to know her, know what she was all about, know that she had dreams,” she said.

Alvear said taking those stories to Washington was about more than remembrance, it was about pushing for change.

“We’re going to Washington, D.C. because that’s where change happens. We want to share their stories,” she said.

She says nearly a decade later, the pain of losing her daughter has not gone away, but she has found purpose in advocacy.

“You have to move on. You live with the pain. You live with the memories and you have to find something that motivates you,” she said.

Alvear says she will continue to be her daughter’s voice, sharing her story in hopes of preventing other families from experiencing the same loss.