It was easier said than done for Skinner, whose talk titled "The Ultimate Learning Experience," centered on the consequences of individuals' choices and decisions. Sharing the inspirational lessons he learned after becoming a paraplegic as a consequence of a car accident involving drunk driving, Skinner cautioned the audience to think before acting and urged students to make each choice carefully.

In 1997, Skinner enrolled at Radford University with the intention of coasting through school. Falling victim to the partying lifestyle his new-found freedom presented, he wound up on academic suspension at the school after which his parents cut him off financially.

From there, Skinner joined the Army National Guard to pay his tuition and enrolled at New River Community College to show Radford he was serious about getting his life on track. After making a 3.0 grade point average and getting re-admitted to Radford, Skinner seemingly had his life on a straight path.

However, in June of 2000, Skinner attended a fraternity brother's wedding. After drinking heavily and deciding to go back to a friend's house, Skinner got in a car in which the driver was also impaired. Skinner removed his seatbelt on the drive before the driver of the car swerved, flipping the vehicle two and a half times. Thrown into a ditch, Skinner broke his right shoulder blade, lost hearing in his right ear and severed his spinal cord, ending up paralyzed for life.

Today, Skinner has an entirely different outlook on life, accepting his situation and making the best of it by letting go of negative emotions, surrounding himself with the right people and using his time and talents to help others.

The message was received well by those in attendance, including Towson's Alex Cohen, a senior for the men's swimming and diving team.

"You sat down, and as soon as he started speaking you knew it was coming from his heart," Cohen said. "In the snap of your finger, your life can change." 

The event was sponsored by the Towson Department of Athletics, the Division of Student Affairs and the NCAA Student-Athlete Affairs Grant Program.