I am incredibly honored to be selected as one of the 2024 Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship recipients. Earning a scholarship of this prestige is a meaningful accomplishment. As a recipient of the PFL Scholarship, I am committed to upholding the responsibility of being a safe driving advocate both on and off campus. It’s a role that I approach with serious intent.                                                                   

After participating in the Safe Driving Summit held at Cherokee Bluff High School and completing the Safeguarding Your Legacy curriculum, my perspective on driving was decidedly changed. As I was listening and reading about Philip Lutzenkirchen and his values and accomplishments, I quickly related to him as his morals and goals were very similar to my own.  He valued hard work, loyalty, and service to others. Philip had big goals and aspirations for his life. In football he was dedicated to pursuing college football and ultimately the NFL. Aside from this, however, Philip was dedicated to promoting Christian values, friendship, and above all else, loyalty.  He lived an exemplary life, a life that I wish to create for myself. But in learning that his life was taken away in an instant, from an impaired decision, I realized the true and real-life consequences of impaired driving. His experience influenced my driving habits. I became more serious about the act of driving and not just the convenience of being able to drive. 

From that moment I knew that I wanted to be involved with the Lutzie 43 Foundation, and wanted to make safe driving a part of my personal mission of service. That is when I decided to use the Safe Driving Summit as the subject of a year-long project with DECA, where I reported on the process of planning and executing the Safe Driving Summit held at my high school, and reflected on the impact that it had on our community. The project required us to become familiar with the Lutzie 43 Foundation, and the process of what is required to put on a Safe Driving Summit. My team members and I took this project and presented it to a judge at the DECA state development conference, where we placed fifth in the state and were given the opportunity to compete at the International Career Development Conference in California in May. The accomplishment of this project showed me that Philip’s story was not just impactful to me; it resonated with others who recognized its importance. Philip’s life left a lasting impact on many, and his story possesses the power to inspire change in others. It brings a smile to my face every time I see a Lutzie 43 sticker on the back of a student’s car, or see the 43 Key Seconds key hanging from a friend’s keychain. It not only serves as a reminder to him/her, but to me to drive safe and keep Philip’s story in mind. 

After the DECA competition, I found out about the opportunity to apply for the PFL Schoarship. This was an incredible opportunity, as I felt well connected to the organization personally and wanted support for paying for college. The application process required me to complete the Safeguarding Your Legacy curriculum. It was here that I learned a great deal more about the components of Philip’s life, safe driving, and the overall values that the Lutzie 43 Foundation supports. This solidified my desire to be involved with the organization further, as the values and message they supported aligned with my personal ambition. The scholarship process overall allowed me to further my knowledge about safe driving, apply it, and increase my desire to be a safe driving advocate to my peers. 

My hope as a graduate is that the Safe Driving Summit at Cherokee Bluff High School becomes an annual event, fostering continued education on the significance of safe driving among students. I currently attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and am pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. I intend to impart the lessons learned from the Lutzie 43 Foundation and Philip Lutzenkirchen’s legacy to my new peers, while emphasizing the integration of safe driving into my personal mission of service.

Philip’s story has broadened my perception on the many aspects of safe driving, and has caused me to pay close attention to my driving habits. His story has helped me to find a mission I am passionate about, and something that I can promote to others to support their safety on the road. Because of Philip and the Lutzie 43 Foundation, I have discovered a cause that I am committed to advocating for in the years ahead.