From where he sits, Chris Skinner sees too many young people damaging their grades, killing their bodies, and hurting others by drinking and using illegal drugs.

Skinner should know. He sits in a heavy, black, motorized wheelchair, paralyzed from mid-chest down as a result of what he acknowledges as poor decisions. But when the motivational speaker addressed the St. Margaret's School student body in late March, his message was one of hope and encouragement.

"Every one of you has the ability to be something special," he said.'You can wipe your slate clean at any moment by making a choice to keep negative things out of your life."

With a combination of humor, reality and teen slang, the attractive and charismatic Skinner shared hard-won insights from what he calls"the ultimate learning experience" June 2000 drunk driving accident while he was a student at Radford University.

Formerly focused on good times and "bling-bling," Skinner now defines success as health and happiness. He offered SMS students four keys to achieving it: learn from others, make decisions wisely, realize your consequences before you make decisions and learn to persevere. "Alcohol and drugs are just temporary fun," he said. "They always run out, and while you're searching for more, you're missing all kinds of opportunities."

Skinner also encouraged students to look after each other. One of his fraternity brothers tried to keep him from attending a party, drinking at the party and driving home drunk on the day of his accident. The brother left the party sober and brought others back safely after Skinner turned him down for the last time.

"I called him all kinds of names for trying to stop me," he said, "and you know what he's doing today? He's walking."

The presentation concluded with an image of Skinner in the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Medical Center. He described the moment he woke from a two-week coma and learned he'd never walk again, much less play the sports he excelled in as a high school athlete.

Now his survival depends on others, from the nurse who gets him up in the morning to the buddy who drives him to his speaking engagements.

"Starting today, starting now, when you can get out of bed by yourself, and take a shower by yourself, and walk to class by yourself, appreciate it," Skinner said. "Appreciate life, and think of what I've told you."

Judging from the audience's reaction, students absorbed his message. "It was real," said sophomore Blair Passagaluppi of Tappahannock. "It helped that he was close to our age," said senior Sarah Reilly of Bruington, "and that he talked about the pressures we'll face in college," added senior Rebecca Dickinson of Loretto.

"He definitely changed the way I look at things," said junior Keri Straughan of Hague. "He made me think about how not to make the same mistakes."