I am blessed to be a recipient of the 2022 Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship. I am honored to be chosen to carry out Philip’s legacy and help bring awareness to distracted driving. I hope to be able to use this honor to promote safe driving habits for those in my community.

In 2008, when I was four years old, I had the privilege of first meeting Philip and his family. My dad was his high school football coach and his sisters babysat me and my siblings. Philip loved to spend time with us and I always looked up to him for that throughout my childhood. Philip was a light to others and inspired everyone around him to do great things. That is why I am humbled to receive this award. I plan on using my connection with Philip and using the qualities he had to inspire others and hopefully help others stay safe on the roads.

During the PFL Scholarship application process, I focused on the 43 Lessons to Legacy curriculum lesson number two: Acceptance. Philip always accepted everyone he came in contact with and impacted their life in many great ways. When we first moved to Marietta, Georgia, Philip accepted my family immediately and made our year at Lassiter High School one to remember. He also accepted everyone for who they were, regardless of what social group they were in, how cool they were, where they came from, or anything that might stereotype someone. Philip had the character trait of making everyone feel like they were his best friend. He was an extremely relatable person and paid attention to detail. Whether it was playing football with his teammates or hanging out with friends, he always made sure to relate to others and give everyone 100% effort.

The courage and strength that the Lutzenkirchen family has carried after the tragic loss of Philip has been inspiring. They have made it possible for me and many others to truly understand the importance of safe driving and making the right decisions. I hope that other people can learn from Philip like I did and that we all learn to Live Like Lutz.