Today was an unforgettable day, as students and staff at BSSC heard a powerful message—one that will no doubt stay with our cohort forever.
In a packed Ulumbarra Theatre, you could hear a pin drop as road trauma and harm prevention advocate, Melissa McGuinness, shared her story.
“I’m here today because I seek change,” says Melissa, who founded You Choose, a Queensland-based road-trauma and harm prevention program in the wake of a tragedy.
Melissa experienced road trauma firsthand in 2012, when her son, Jordan, caused the deaths of four innocent young people in a car crash in which he also died. He was speeding and under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
Melissa spoke about Jordan, explained what happened in the lead up to the incident, and went into the horrific aftermath of the event.
Throughout her deeply moving presentation, Melissa urged our students to consider the impact of their choices and the responsibility they carry every time they get behind the wheel—and encouraged them to ‘own the choice, own the outcome’.
It was clear, from chatting with students afterwards, that the message heard today will impact the lives of young people, and everyone who loves them.
“There is so much stigma around ‘us’ being the problem—I feel like we can be the change. This presentation will make a difference.” – Amelia
“I was able to relate to the presentation because I’ve had siblings that have passed away.” –Dylan
“It was really good—it made me think about what it would be like if I lost someone.” – Zane
“It was very impactful: it made me very emotional and definitely made me think twice about the choices that people make.” – Liam
Melissa will present to young people and parents/carers in a free community event on tonight at 7pm in Ulumbarra Theatre. We strongly encourage you to come along and hear Melissa’s powerful message.
