“You can write your own story.” Choices. We think about them every day, but how important are they? On February 9, former ‘Survivor’ contestant Michael Skupin came to Arrowhead to speak to students about the importance of choices.

Skupin was a contestant on the second season of ‘Survivor’ located in the Australian outback. Many people probably remember Skupin as the man who had to leave ‘Survivor’ early because of severe burns sustained during an accident with a fire. That was in 2001. Since then, Skupin has asked to run for Senate by President Bush, but he declined. Instead, he decided to use his time talking to elementary and high school students. Between now and his ‘Survivor’ experience, he’s talked to over 5 million students.

But how can a ‘Survivor’ contestant talk to them about choices?

“To win on ‘Survivor,’ you have to make good choices. The ones that make bad choices are the first to go,” Skupin stated. “Your success on ‘Survivor’ is determined by your choices; it’s the same in life. You don’t have the power to choose your consequence.”

Leading into choices, Skupin informed his audiences about the dangers of smoking.

“Cigarettes are the only product the government insists has a big sticker warning that says ‘IF YOU SMOKE THESE, YOU WILL DIE,’” he said. Skupin noted that after asking a series of people, both smokers and non-smokers, all of them said to never start smoking. “Why would anybody smoke if everybody’s saying not to do it?” he asked.

Using an analogy of smoking a cigarette and dying immediately after, Skupin reasoned, “People smoke because there’s no immediate effect. Who would try one cigarette if the consequence was immediate?” He was quick to add that the same is true with drugs or alcohol.

“Addiction is not curable,” Skupin stated. When he surveyed elementary school kids and asked if they were going to smoke, 100% of them said ‘no.’ “So WHAT HAPPENED?” demanded Skupin.

To end on a happier note, Skupin again referenced that we can all write our own stories. “Success and happiness discriminates against nobody,” he said. “You have the power to write your own story any way you want it. It’s your choice.”