Patrice Gaines, a former heroin addict turned award-winning reporter who is now a motivational speaker will make presentations to St. Thomas' youth during March in recognition of National Collegiate Drug Awareness Month and Women's Month.

Sponsored by the University of the Virgin Islands Office of the Associate Campus Executive Administrator, Gaines will lecture at UVI and the Charlotte Amalie High School. The lecture at UVI will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, in the Chase Auditorium (room B110). Students from other high schools on the island have been invited to the lecture at CAHS, which is scheduled for March 29.

As a young adult, Gaines had a chaotic life. A single mother addicted to heroin, Gaines sought love in all the wrong places while her mother took care of her child. An arrest and criminal charges of possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, and possession of a needle and syringe landed Gaines in jail. Not able to see her daughter while on lockdown, Gaines made a commitment to change. Eight years after her arrest she was selected for a national journalism education program and became a newspaper reporter. She worked for several newspapers during her career as a fulltime reporter, working 16 years for the Washington Post in Washington, D.C. While at the Post, Gaines won awards for journalism and for her contributions to the community.

"I though that it would be good for her to talk about the consequences of substance abuse and the will and power to change," said Dr. Doris Battiste, UVI's St. Thomas Campus Associate Campus Executive Administrator. She added that Gaines' story shows the consequences of risky behavior and bad decision making, but most importantly each person's ability to control his or her destiny.

Having written two books about her path from destruction to self-discovery, Gaines now uses her story to motivate people everywhere. Her books "Laughing in the Dark: From Colored Girl to Woman of Color – A Journey from Prison to Power" and "Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change" will be on sale at the UVI lecture. Gaines will be available to sign books after the lecture.

For more information call 693-1120.