It is a joy to receive the Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship and continue to represent Philip Lutzenkirchen and his legacy as a safe driving ambassador. For the past two years, I have had the honor of receiving about a Safe Driving Scholarship from the Town of Bluffton. As an already established ambassador for safe driving in my local community, I am honored to become a larger-scale, national ambassador for safe driving through the Lutzie 43 Foundation .
I was first introduced to the Lutzie 43 Foundation after a presentation on safe driving at my high school in Bluffton, SC. My curiosity was immediately peaked by the story of Philip’s legacy and the distracted, impaired and unsafe driving that tragically ended his life. That same year, my mother was rear-ended by a high school student who was texting and driving. Her car was totaled, and she had many injuries resulting in her needing two back surgeries. The student driving without clear hands not only impacted my mother’s life, but decreased our family’s transportation and the time I was able to spend with my mother while she was in recovery. This incident only heightened my awareness of the cost of distracted driving, spurring my decision to sign the 43 Key Seconds Safe Driving Pledge and commit myself to safe driving.
After further researching Philip’s career and personal life, what struck me the most was his love for God that stirred his commitment to other people. I read story after story of people commending Philip for loving others well, including his teammates, children with special needs, his coaches, and his family. Hutson Mason, a former quarterback at the University of Georgia, commented on Philip’s consistency and intentionality in their friendship, even when it was inconvenient or taxing. The anomaly of Philip’s commitments is not the commitments themselves, but the steadfastness required to keep them. Philip’s steadfast commitments were inspired by his purpose to love God and others well. After completing the Safeguarding Your Legacy curriculum, I was challenged to evaluate my purpose and realign my activities and service.
My purpose is to value life and protect it, and I am pursuing my purpose in a variety of ways. I am heading into my senior year studying Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia, and I am currently studying for the MCAT with plans to attend medical school. Beyond preparing academically, I am prefacing my service-oriented career by volunteering my time at a local non-profit, Mercy Health Center. Their mission is to serve impoverished and underserved patients within the Athens community and provide them not only with medical care, but with the good news of Christ. The work not only prepares me for a life in the health care field, but also puts me directly in touch with people who need the Gospel within my community. In this way, I can fulfill my purpose before even beginning my career. Philip’s life was dedicated to fulfilling his purpose actively and intentionally. Part of living his legacy includes humbly choosing to serve with the gifts, talents, and influence that you have been given currently. His life is an inspiration to purposefully commit to service in the here and now rather than waiting for more influence or resources.
The University of Georgia, located in Athens, GA, is known for its record high number of bars per square foot of area downtown. Because of this statistic, distracted driving is a high area of concern. In 2023, following the College Football National Championship, two UGA students were killed in a drunk driving car crash. My campus, and many others, are in desperate need of education and exposure to safe driving techniques. As an upperclassman and a captain of the club spikeball team at UGA, I regularly volunteer to transport my friends to and from parties or engagements. I make it a priority to be available for my peers even if I do not attend the event, so that they feel comfortable relying on me as a dependable and designated driver. I am excited to be joining alongside the Lutzie 43 Foundation to make a difference in driving on my campus with the goal of protecting the lives of both students and community members.
My overall purpose is to love, serve, and share with others, which is the purpose Philip exhibited during his life. For me, this purpose includes valuing and protecting lives by pursuing a career in medicine and continuing to be a safe driving advocate. The Prepared for Life Scholarship is aiding me in both avenues, providing me with funding to continue to serve my community and complete my education. I am honored to be formally welcomed into the Lutzie 43 Foundation community and given the opportunity to continue advocating for safe driving.
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