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.

When reflecting on the story that Chris Sandy told, it made me at first feel distant from the situation, but the more I heard about his life, the more personal it became. When just looking at the facts on the drunk driving incident at first it made me sad but didn’t really connect to me since it feels like a crazy, out of reach scenario. When Mr. Sandy continued to tell his life story, it personalized the situation and made it feel more tangible and real. I can’t imagine having to live with something like that and coming out a better person so it was really inspirational. I think he spreads a very important and emotional message that can really change perspectives and views and hopefully keep people from making similar mistakes.

I am sorry that this email is late, but I wanted to reach out and thank everyone for their contributions to our pre-prom safe driving event. I know it was a lot to take out of your already busy days, but I think it made a huge impact on the kids, and in the end, gave them the information to make safe choices.

I don’t think we always get to see the impact of what we do, but the fact that all our kids had a fun night, and made it home safely, is in large part because of all of you. I look forward to making this a yearly tradition, and hope you can join us next year. Thank you again for keeping our kids safe, and for making Nonnewaug a great place to be.

Once again, thank you so much for doing the program. We really appreciate it!

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.

I thought that the presentation did a very good job of highlighting the effects that your choices can have on others. Even if you think something will only impact you, you need to consider the broader scale and all of the possible scenarios to see whether or not it is truly a good idea.

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.

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!

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.

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.