Rich Barnes presented a powerful and personal story of drug and alcohol addiction to our high school students. Rich told his life story (the good, the bad and the ugly) in a captivating manner that resonated with our students. Since he grew up in the greater Boston area, he quickly established a connection with his audience. He described the experiences with using alcohol and drugs and succumbing to peer pressure, and how his choices led to many life altering consequences and a life of deception. His style of communication was relaxed and candid as he has students laughing one minute and crying or tearing up the next minute. At the end of his presentation, a line of students waited to thank him and gave Rich a hug for helping them deal better with their own life issues. Rich tells the students at the beginning of the talk that his message may not be for everyone, but if it helps just one student he feels that it is worth it. I know it helped quite a few students, and I would highly recommend Rick to speak at your school.
Sincerely,
Wesley H. Paul
Principal, Oliver Ames High School
Easton, MA