April 5, 2008, was the day that changed Elaine Carta’s life forever. She was a 16-year-old Churchill High School student and member of the Charger cheerleading squad when she was permanently injured in an alcohol-related car accident. The wreck caused a spinal cord injury that left her unable to use her legs. On Thursday, March 28, 2019, she returned to Churchill to speak to students and staff about the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving.
“This definitely makes me emotional because I haven’t been back since high school, and this is also right around the time of my car accident 10 years ago,” said Carta.
Carta eventually returned to the halls of Churchill after her accident. She says going back to finish school in a wheelchair was one of the hardest things she has ever done.
“I wanted to finish out senior year being home-schooled,” said Carta. “My best friend Jordy, who’s here today, would not allow that. When I got back to high school, the hallways that I once walked here at Churchill felt much longer. The stairs I climbed to get to classes were nonexistent in my routine anymore.”
Students, staff and family members in the audience of Churchill’s auditorium heard Carta speak about the night of the wreck, and the months leading up to her graduation in 2009. She also spoke about the impact this had on her friends and family. Her message was as powerful as her story, and she hopes students and adults alike, will remember to be aware of the consequences that come with their actions.
“Be mindful of the choices you make, and the consequences that they can have on people,” said Carta. “Not just themselves, but the people around them.”
Carta was invited to speak at Churchill as part of the Winners Circle’s Be Smart Day. This event brought the consequences of drinking and driving to the student body by incorporating potential real-world scenarios.
“There’s been a death, or injury or arrest made every period and it’ll be real people with real scenarios,” said GeorgeAnna Hurley, Churchill Winners Circle member. “We had people react to it negatively and positively, but the point was to get the message out that drinking and driving is not good. This is real, and sometimes people think it can’t happen to them, but it can.”
Posted on 3-29-19
