Like many of you, I came to college seeking that quintessential freedom. As a former missionary kid raised with strict rules, I was determined to finally live it up at Baylor University. Drinking and partying with new friends seemed like a well-deserved reward after studying hard. But what started as an occasional indulgence for me quickly exposed alcohol's darker realities.

I'll never forget seeing friends being rushed to the ER as one too many drinks caused alcohol poisoning but then continuing their bingeing a couple of days later, denying any claims of dependency. This blind ignorance of alcohol's insidious effects was one of the hardest things for me and other college students to combat because it was so tied to our ego and pride of being a young adult immune to common problems. We want to believe we are safe when we aren't

 

Most concerningly, I started burying the very knowledge I learned in my neuroscience classes about alcohol's catastrophic impact on the brain and body. My ego made me feel immune to those dangers, but I was just lying to myself. We often don't acknowledge alcohol's risks until dependency sets in or an impulsive mistake changes everything.

 

When my parents inevitably found out about my drinking and lies, it crushed me. Their unconditional love was never more evident than when my father suffered a stroke during this difficult time. Despite my failings, they stood by me with compassion, solidifying how precious our relationship was - and how alcohol could have permanently compromised our cherished bond.

I don't want to shame anyone, because I get the allure of the college party scene. But I also implore you - by choosing sobriety, you are actively urging a world that helps the alcoholic father recover, saving his child from bearing that trauma. By not drinking, your clarity can combat the global substance abuse crisis ruining relationships and taking lives.

 

I know we're young and want to live life fully. But are those fleeting highs worth risking a lifetime of regret? It can happen to you. My ego caused me to ignore the information on alcohol's health impacts and destructive behaviors until I paid the price heavily.

Brilliant peers surrounded me at Baylor, shining with dreams and ambitious goals. It pains me to think how alcohol could derail those promising futures if left unchecked. There are so many better ways to cope and live authentically than robbing yourself of that potential through drinking.

 

To anyone who resonates with my story, I beg you - truly meditate on how little you think alcohol can hurt you. If you believe you're immune, don't ignore the facts. Find healthier outlets as I did through sports, faith, movies, and more. Restricting alcohol's grip gave me discipline and resilience for life's bigger challenges beyond the college bubble. However, this is a journey that needs to be urgently maintained, even now I cannot get complacent that my life is all sunshine and rainbows because the truth about resisting temptations and not giving in is that it is hard but it does get easier if you do it every single day.

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Ultimately, my sobriety emerged from my values, goals, and deep gratitude for my parents' love, even when I fell short of their hopes. I respect every person's journey is different. But your relationships, dreams, happiness, and potential are too precious to risk for temporary intoxication. You have the strength to make positive changes - to join others in combating the deaths and lives ruined by substance use disorder, to not perpetuate a cycle or culture of substance abuse that goes on to affect adults as they transition to parenthood and take care of their families.

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