Choices Matter Changemakers

Chris Sandy

Chris Sandy is a motivational speaker and author. He has traveled to over 40 different states and spoken to over a million students, parents, educators, and military service members nationwide.

Chris is the author of the book “Enduring Regret: Two Different Stories of Drunk Driving, Two Very Different Prisons”. He was also featured in the Double EMMY Award Winning Television Documentary “Enduring Regret: Chris Sandy’s Living Life After Causing Death”.

Chris uses his life journey to connect with people of all ages to spread his awareness message. Chris’ mission is to motivate people to accomplish goals, overcome adversity, and make choices matter!

Rave Reviews

If you’d like to share your experience, we’d love to hear about it!

On behalf of York High School, I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to reach out and introduce us to the Choices Matter Program. The activities and presentation were both engaging and informative, and it left an impression on our students and staff.

We truly appreciate the effort your whole team put into sharing valuable insights and experiences. Your program’s message about the dangers of making choices that involve substance use was not only inspiring but also relevant to our student body. The students were so engaged and completely attentive during Chris’ speech (which speaks volumes!). His passion for the subject and his personal story were impactful.

Thank you again for your time and dedication to making a difference in our community. We hope to welcome you back to our school in the future!

Debra Alonso, LCSW
School Social Worker
York High School
York, 
Maine

We are very thankful for the program yesterday. Chris was sincere and did a great job sharing his story. We would love to be considered in the future for similar programs. It was a tough but necessary message for our students.

South Hardin High School
Eldora, 
Iowa

Thank you so much. That was fantastic and Chris was captivating. Feel free to use me as a reference in the future. I have also cc’d Cheryl Johnson, the school nurse at Baltic Academy, she may contact you to see if you have any remaining availability in Connecticut.

Thanks again. We would love to bring you back in 2-3 years.

St. Thomas More School
Montville, 
Connecticut

Thank you both so much for allowing us the opportunity to hear Chris speak.

He has an awesome message!

I look forward to working with you next Fall as well.

Kyle
West Vigo High School
West Terre Haute, 
Indiana

I thought it went super well. Our kids were so engaged with the presentation. I think as it sits it is great. It is very unique to get somebody like Chris who has gone through what he has be willing to share his story and hurt over and over again. I think the message in that is powerful.

Nicholas
Principal
Riverside CSD
Oakland, 
Iowa

Thank you for being so easy to work with. I completely understand budgets and budget cuts, and I truly appreciate you making this opportunity possible.

I think the kids really enjoyed the message and listened closely to Chris. I believe hearing from someone with a true-life story really captured their attention and made the message meaningful to them.

I also received some great feedback from our staff about how well Chris related his story to the students—and even to the adults. One staff member said it felt like they were right there beside him throughout his experience. I thought that was a great way to describe the impact his story had.

Again, thank you for helping get this set up at Blue River Valley. I hope we can make this an event we bring back every year or every other year. I truly believe it was valuable for our students and staff.

Thank you again for everything!

School Resource Officer
Blue River Valley Jr./Sr. High School

On behalf of York High School, I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to reach out and introduce us to the Choices Matter Program.

The activities and presentation were both engaging and informative, and it left an impression on our students and staff.

We truly appreciate the effort your whole team put into sharing valuable insights and experiences. Your program’s message about the dangers of making choices that involve substance use was not only inspiring but also relevant to our student body. The students were so engaged and attentive during Chris’s speech (which speaks volumes!). His passion for the subject and his personal story were impactful.

Thank you again for your time and dedication to making a difference in our community. We hope to welcome you back to our school in the future!

Debra
York High School
York, 
Maine

Friday morning, a theatre full of 10th graders, and you could have heard a pin drop. Students were so invested in the speaker – I was so invested in the speaker! This was such a powerful presentation.

Teacher
Hopkins School
New Haven, 
Connecticut

We really enjoyed having Chris, Jess & Noah on campus last Friday. The presentation and activities had a big impact and even though it was only the 10th grade at the presentation, we had many seniors, juniors, and even freshman and eighth graders participate in the activities portion. I had a student approach me at our Fall Festival that evening and thank me for bringing such a powerful assembly to campus – this speaks volumes coming from a 10th grader!

Lindsey
Administrator
Hopkins School
New Haven, 
Connecticut

I found his story very inspiring and uplifting. It was great to see how he didn’t ruin his life over this mistake and kept pushing. I think that that is a great mindset to have in life. His experience in prison was a bit scary to me. It’s even more scary that he wasn’t addicted to alcohol, it was just a very big mistake. The speaker definitely taught me to be careful and consider all risks when dealing with peer pressure or any kind of addictive substance.

Student
Hopkins School
New Haven, 
Connecticut
Choices Matter Podcast Logo

Chris on the Podcast

In this episode of The Choices Matter Podcast, we speak with Chris Sandy, the longest-tenured speaker for the Choices Matter program and author of Enduring Regret: Chris Sandy’s Life After Causing Death.

On April 11, 2000, one decision changed everything. During a night of partying and drinking with friends, Chris was driving fast en-route to another party and caused a crash that took two lives. It led to his conviction and 3,117 days in prison. Today, Chris shares his personal story with students across the country, showing how one incredibly terrible choice can have devastating consequences.

In partnership with highway safety offices nationwide, Choices Matter is a life-changing educational program using real stories like Chris’s to inspire students to make thoughtful, responsible decisions — behind the wheel and in everyday life.

Chris’s message is one of accountability, empathy, and hope — a cautionary tale that reminds us all: the choices we make don’t just affect us — they ripple out to everyone around us.

Chris’ Story

Chris Sandy is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, life coach, and author who has traveled to over 40 states, sharing his powerful message on alcohol awareness with more than a million students, parents, educators, and military members. His book, Enduring Regret, and the Double Emmy Award; winning documentary of the same name chronicle his life after causing a fatal drunk-driving crash–stories now used around the world to help people make better choices. Known for his authentic, captivating approach, Chris has earned numerous awards for his impact and continues to inspire audiences of all ages to set goals, overcome adversity, and understand the real consequences of impaired driving.