Why Students Need SADD: A Personal Story and a Call to Action

Growing up, I always believed that if you worked hard, stayed focused, and tried to make the right choices, you could somehow stay protected from the hardest things in life. But life has a way of testing that belief, and for me, everything changed the day I lost someone I loved to a crash caused by impairment. I am a neuroscience major studying the brain — the very organ I hoped could help save him. Yet the impact was so severe, the force so extreme, that even the strongest part of the body could not recover. In one moment, we were robbed of him. Robbed of more memories, more laughter, more moments together. I lost my brother.

That loss reshaped my life. I carry grief, confusion, and a deep sense of responsibility — not guilt, but a determination to make sure other families would never feel what mine did. That determination is what led me to SADD.

What I found in SADD was more than a student organization. It was a community of people who believe in protecting one another, in making choices that preserve life, in creating school environments where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to lead. SADD showed me that prevention is not just a program — it is a culture, built one student, one chapter, and one courageous conversation at a time.

Why SADD Matters Now More Than Ever

Today’s students are facing more pressures than any generation before us: mental health struggles, substance misuse, distracted and impaired driving, and the constant influence of social media. These challenges are real, urgent, and often overwhelming. But young people are not powerless, and that is the heart of SADD’s mission.

SADD chapters transform school communities by:

1. Creating Safe Spaces for Honest Conversations

Students often feel judged or afraid to share what they’re really going through. SADD gives them a place where they can speak openly about stress, mental health, peer pressure, and risky behaviors — without fear or stigma.

2. Empowering Students to Lead Solutions

SADD is built on the belief that students listen to other students. When peers lead initiatives, campaigns, or safety messages, they carry more weight. SADD elevates youth voices, turning student concerns into student-led action.

3. Preventing Tragedies Before They Happen

Whether it is educating peers about the dangers of impaired driving, advocating for safe celebrations at prom, increasing seatbelt use, or promoting mental health resources, SADD chapters save lives. They turn knowledge into prevention and prevention into impact.

4. Strengthening Connections Between Schools and Communities

SADD brings together students, parents, teachers, law enforcement, healthcare workers, and local leaders. When a chapter works, it becomes a bridge — uniting everyone around the shared goal of keeping young people safe.

How My Story Became My Purpose

In the weeks after the crash, I found myself searching for a way to transform grief into something meaningful. SADD gave me that avenue. It allowed me to share my story not for sympathy, but for prevention — to remind students that their choices matter, that they hold the power to protect themselves and others, and that a moment of reckless behavior can cause irreversible loss.

Speaking to students and people is never easy. Sometimes I feel my voice shake, or I feel the weight of the memories pressing against my chest. But every time I share what happened, I think about the possibility that one student may make a safer choice because of it. One student may take the keys from a friend. One student may speak up instead of staying silent. One student may decide that their life — and the lives of others — are worth protecting.

If even one life is saved, then sharing my story is worth it.

Why Schools Should Start (or Revitalize) a SADD Chapter

If your school does not have a SADD chapter yet, or if your chapter has gone quiet, now is the time to act. Here is why:

• SADD improves school culture.

• Students feel supported, included, and connected to something meaningful.

• SADD builds leadership.

• Students take ownership of real issues and learn how to create change.

• SADD promotes safety and wellness.

• Chapters lead initiatives that reduce risky behaviors and increase awareness.

• SADD fosters resilience and hope.

• Students learn that they are not alone — and that their voices matter.

  
  

A Message to Students: You Have More Power Than You Think

If you are reading this as a student, know this: you do not have to wait until you graduate to create change. You can lead today. You can influence your peers. You can save lives simply by caring enough to speak up. SADD is not about perfection. It is about intention — choosing to make decisions that protect you and the people you love. It is about building a future where we hold each other accountable, where safety is a shared commitment, and where every student gets to make it home.

A Message to Schools and Communities: Students Need You

Behind every strong SADD chapter is at least one supportive adult. Students need advisors, administrators, community partners, and mentors who believe in them — who give them the tools, structure, and encouragement to lead.

Starting a chapter is not difficult, but the impact is immeasurable. When you invest in youth, they invest in each other.

Turning Loss Into Leadership

I often think about the moment everything changed — the moment that took someone I loved away forever. I cannot change what happened, but I can choose what I do with the pain. SADD has allowed me to honor his memory by helping prevent similar tragedies. It has given me a purpose that extends beyond my grief and into the lives of others.

Prevention starts with awareness, but it grows with action. My hope is that more schools, more students, and more communities will join this mission — so that fewer families will ever feel the loss that mine does.