Recently, Pine Crest alumnus Eddie Soto (class of 2016) came to speak with our high school student body regarding a traumatic experience he faced, how he overcame it, and what he learned. He spoke about his personal Pine Crest experience, as well as his entrance to Northwestern University, where he faced an unruly start to his freshman year.

Soto shared that while attending his first college party, he pushed himself over his limit while drinking alcohol and fell down a set of stairs, cracking his skull.  Luckily, his football teammates witnessed the fall and recognized that Soto was unresponsive and needed immediate medical attention.  With their help, he was rushed to the intensive care unit where he was deemed to be in critical condition.  

After a week in comatose state, Soto stayed in the hospital for over a month, working to relearn basic human skills such as walking and eating. He even needed to build back his short term memory, having forgotten simple things like what year it was and what word a doctor mentioned to him minutes earlier. His story opened many students’ eyes to how choices, when it comes to alcohol, can dramatically change a person’s life.

As a member of the Pine Crest alumni, Soto’s story had a different impact than than many of the other presenters that speak once or twice a month. Soto is someone who was in our shoes not too long ago. He is one of us, having shared the common experiences of attending the same classes and same events. He is a face that much of the current student body recognizes and someone who many of us knew even prior to the accident.

Senior Chris Kotite thought these types of assemblies were a great idea saying, “I think it’s very important to have someone who is so close to us in age giving us his uncensored and uninfluenced opinion. In my opinion, it makes it more relatable and hopefully inspires people to really listen.”

Having a personal connection to the speaker changes the way that their story affects us, often leaving an even stronger impact.  We are able to relate and understand how their experience at Pine Crest shaped who they are and how they overcome obstacles once they have left.  Having alumni come in to speak about other issues, such as getting a job, building self-confidence and maintaining mental health in college, would be incredibly helpful for the student body as well.

Overall, Eddie Soto’s impactful speech showed the importance of having more alumni coming to speak to us at Pine Crest.