Every year our school brings in a guest speaker to talk about drugs and alcohol. This year’s speaker was Matthew Bocchi. He made the assembly a little more personal. He talked about his life and his problems with drugs. He went into explanations on how and why he got into drugs as well as his recovery. Matthew Bocchi went through a lot due to the loss of his father who was a victim of 9/11. His way of coping with this loss led to an addiction to drugs. He was able to captivate the attention of many students by sharing his real-life story and struggle to overcome addiction. He led a question and answer period in which students could ask questions anonymously by scanning a QR code.
Furthermore, Bocchi explained how many can indeed be going through similar situations and never allow anyone to find out by smiling every day. Some people put on a facade to hide their true selves. He told everyone that it is alright to be hurting. He explained how some may seem to have a perfect life such as straight-A students or star athletes, yet those kids may be the ones who are going through the most difficult things. Along with that, he explained how one pill or one drink can lead to a serious addiction. Bocchi’s message encouraged the students at NAHS to be smart and try to be their best selves.
Overall, the student body enjoyed Matthew Bocchi’s presentation. Many said that it was better than last year’s presentation and that they appreciated the sentiment of his story. Matthew Bocchi was a great speaker who truly connected with the students.