Speeding down Highway 64 eastbound on her way back to Illinois, Sarah Panzau collided with the metal divider that would change her life forever. Sarah crashed because she was under the influence of alcohol, and has since dedicated her life to warning young teens about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The assembly last Monday began ordinarily with an opening speech from Principal Mike Deely regarding the speaker. During the next moment, moods quickly changed as a slideshow was played that showed a bloody picture of Sarah at the scene of her accident. The next moments shocked students without warning- Sarah herself, shorts and tank top and scarred all over her body and missing an entire arm, walked down the middle aisle and introduced herself,

Sarah sported dark green eye shadow and a variety of tattoos scattered about her body; not to mention an outgoing personality that completely removed students from their classroom moods.

Sarah then began her speech to CCHS and alternated from stories about the hospital to stories about her life as a party-crazed teen.

“When I woke up two and a half weeks later, not one of my original ‘friends’ was at my bedside,” Sarah said, restraining herself from crying on the spot. “Not one.”

Sarah immediately expressed herself as an outgoing, carefree girl under the care of her military disciplined mother. A star volleyball player, Sarah eventually received dozens of scholarship offers at the end of her senior year, yet decided to stay because of a boyfriend.

These ‘friends’, as she had previously described, allowed her to step out of the bar without restraint, and a drunken Sarah got behind the wheel to embark on a nearly fatal accident.

“I was sad that they had let me go, but I take full responsibility for my own decisions that night.”

Sarah continued her speech with a variety of jokes and tragic recollections that constantly kept the audience aware of her presence. At one moment, Sarah appeared rambunctious and full of life- and at the next, fighting back tears at the mention of a sentimental memory.

“My mother asked me why I didn’t call her that night. I was unable to speak, so I wrote on my whiteboard ‘TROUBLE’ in all capital letters. She broke down and said she had done something wrong, that I should always know to call her.”

This was one of Sarah’s main points during her speech. Teenagers, she explained, should know that the consequences from calling parents hardly amount to the consequences she had to face because of her accident.

Junior student Conner Ward appreciated the speech.

“She had a way of connecting to each student on a personal level and making us think twice about our ‘invincibility.’

Catching up with her after the speech, Sarah seemed tired yet eager to answer any questions. She claimed if there was any one thing she could accomplish, it would be to save the life of a student she spoke to.

Students quickly left the gymnasium to return to their classes, Sarah remained standing and shaking hands with passers-by.

“If I contributed to saving someone from the dangers of driving under the influence, I have accomplished my main goal.”