By Maddy Grady

It is very hard to tell a group of students what to do and what not to do. Especially if you have no background or knowledge of the events that come along with bad decisions. Attending the Steered Straight assembly at Walled Lake Central was an eye opening event for many students who took in what the speaker was saying.

Michael DeLeon is the founder of the program and also the person who came October 13 to address the issue of drugs and how the decisions we make come with repercussions. Though his focus is to help kids with drug addictions, he mainly focused on decisions. Each decision has a cause and effect.

In addressing Central’s juniors and seniors, Michael talked about how he became addicted and how with every mistake he made he lost something. Eventually he had to deal with things that would haunt him for the rest of his life. His story was sad, overwhelming, and extremely powerful.

Through his speech you could hear the sniffles and cries through the crowd. Growing up in this generation is a place full of constant peer pressure. DeLeon gave every kid in that room a reason to say no. He had a criminal record, a drug problem, and pushed his family to an unimaginable edge, but through it all he learned something and he now throws these lessons towards kids so they do not have to learn them on their own.

“I think it’s very good that our school informs us of the dangers and reality of drugs and how they can turn someone’s life upside down,” senior Kaitlyn Gulick said.

We all make mistakes and nobody is perfect, but his message was a form of motivation to make decisions that benefit you and the people you love. It was truly inspirational.