Being apart of the 2025 Class of Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholars provided by the Lutzie 43 Foundation was something not on my bingo card this year. I had never heard of the Lutzie 43 Foundation until I applied for the scholarship. I feel more comfortable now that I am going to attend Tuskegee University with the financial help that the Lutzie 43 Foundation has blessed me with. However, financial help is not the only thing that the Lutzie 43 Foundation has provided.
The Lutzie 43 Foundation has also given me strong insight on the dangers on our roads. Due to the scholarship application process, I’ve learned how to be more cautious and increase my chances of survivability while driving. As of right now, I am not someone who is fond of driving. I do not have my license. Most of my friends have regrets from their time behind the wheel, and I usually have to take Ubers to get to places. I’m from Chicago, Illinois; so seeing and hearing about vehicle crashes isn’t uncommon unfortunately. On my way to school and work I’ve seen so many tragedies on the road: vehicles torn apart, cars flipped over, ambulances rushing down, and police officers everywhere. It is an unholy sight to see, and it is difficult to not envision myself as part of these crashes. It scares me that I could be that person driving and suddenly my life is in jeopardy. I just started learning how to drive with my dad, and my heart thumps with fear when I’m behind the wheel and my foot is on the gas. Because of that, I truly believe that the Lutzie 43 Foundation will be a huge assistance to my driving journey. I have taken so much knowledge and advice from their 43 Key Seconds safe driving checklist. Always Clear Your Head, whether that be of alcohol, or in my case, rambling thoughts. Clear Your Hands, of your phone, food, basically anything to stay on the wheel. Clear Your Eyes so you will stay focused on the road and be alert. And when you are done, Click Your Seatbelt. Make sure that if there is anyone else in the car, they click it as well. It is such a simple mistake to not click your seatbelt, and the risks are too high. Those 43 Key Seconds can be critical and crucial to make sure you get from point A to point B peacefully. As someone learning to be a wildlife biologist or vet, I need to be very careful with how I drive. I will inevitably be on the road and I need to know how to navigate these roads so that I do not mess up a major task at hand – whether that is an emergency surgery or traveling out to different areas. I’ve always loved animals, and I want to help in maintaining their populations on this planet. I want to give back to them, and by giving back to them I am giving back to the world. That is something that I can relate to with Philip.
Learning about Philip Lutzenkirchen and his impact on others really inspired me. He was such a humble individual and always knew where he came from. He did not let the success get to him. He made sure to show others care and love, especially with children that had issues with their health. He made it a priority to support the community. And that is something I want to do. Seeing the atrocities going around the world against nature is simply terrible. Deforestation, animal extinction, pollution…all of these problems are running rampant, and we are already facing the consequences at our own leisure. Much like Philip, I want to help in anyway that I can. And to start that journey, I will be attending Tuskegee University and majoring in Animal/Veterinary Science. The costs to attend Tuskegee University are are high, but with the help of the Lutzie 43Foundation, I will be able to achieve my education there. Not only by funding, but by spiritual motivation. I thank the Lutzie 43 Foundation so much by giving me a chance to grow and expand my knowledge so that one day I can be someone that can help fix the world.