I am very honored to receive the Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship. This Lutzie 43 Foundation team is fueled with passion and heart to increase distraction free driving and I wholeheartedly support their vision. It is such a blessing to be a part of this organization and to be able to use my platform to promote safe driving. I hope to use this scholarship to increase safe driving awareness and prevent needless pain for families and communities. I really do feel prepared for life when I am surrounded and encouraged by this group of people.
When I first started the application process, I was not familiar with Philip’s story or the work that was being done at the Lutzie 43 Foundation. My high school career coach, Whitney Murchison, recommended a scholarship opportunity to all of the juniors and seniors at my school. I wanted to get ahead of the game for scholarships, so I decided that I would apply. When I clicked on the link she provided, I felt an immediate connection to Philip’s story. On August 4th, 2024, I was in the passenger seat of a golf cart when it flipped on top of me. I was carried through a patch of gravel that caused a load of injuries throughout my body. What seemed like a regular day turned into one that changed my perspective on safe driving forever. I sheared off a portion of my ankle bone, had multiple surgeries over several months, road rash covering my entire leg, rocks embedded in my fingers, and a whole lot of physical and emotional trauma. By the grace of God, my body healed in record time and I was able to continue with the things I love. Surgeons were not confident that I would be able to walk, and now I am back to dancing competitively. Ever since then, I can not stress the importance of safe driving enough. Not everyone has the opportunity to recover like I did and I wish that was not the case. I wish it didn’t get to the point of injury or death for safe driving to be a priority.
The application process and the Safeguarding Your Legacy curriculum were things that I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Even though I did not personally know Phillip, my heart is still full of pain for him and his loved ones. After every page I turned, my heart ached more and more. I am very inspired how the Lutzenkirchens were able to take such a traumatic event and turn it into a monumental movement. It speaks volumes about the foundation and its people to turn such unspeakable tragedy into a genuine outpouring of love and concern for families, in hopes to avoid similar tragedies and heartbreak. I really enjoyed transforming the 43 Key Seconds from a simple lesson into a habit. Clearing my mind before turning my key to enter the road brings me a lot of peace and comfort behind the wheel. Although it does not guarantee my safety, it sure helps! Since hearing about this foundation, I have tried to share Phillip’s story to all of my friends. When I have any passengers, I like to make sure they are aware of the checklist that I am completing during my 43 Key Seconds. I have encouraged a handful of my friends to apply for the scholarship next year, so they too can hopefully make a difference. My hope is that the passion from the Lutzie 43 Foundation will spread like a wildfire. There are too many families going through the exact same preventable pain as the Lutzenkirchens. Being awarded this scholarship is just the icing on the cake.
I learned a great deal of lessons throughout the application process. I really value the intentional amount of discipline that is shown on each and every page. Killing a bad habit takes a lot of time and effort, and can be challenging to replace. I want to be a leader in my community and always represent the good in life. As a teenage driver, I want to lead by example that safe driving is crucial and contagious. I know the temptation to be distracted behind the wheel is very alluring – music, texts, phone notifications, friends, other drivers. My responsibility is to focus and operate my vehicle in a way that keeps my passengers and fellow drivers safe at all times. The 43 Key Seconds help me to do this.
Thank you so much to Mike, the Lutzenkirchen family, the Lutzie 43 Foundation, board members, and everyone who is a part of carrying forward Phillip’s legacy. I aspire to change lives in the way this organization has changed mine. I will not take this scholarship or title for granted. I am extremely grateful for the endless love and generosity provided by this team; it has exceeded all expectations.