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Lutzie 43
April 5, 2021

Categories: PFL Scholarship

Meet Logan Hopson, 2020 PFL Scholarship Recipient

I am so incredibly honored to be chosen as one of the 2020 Prepared for Life Character Scholarships provided by the Lutzie4 3 Foundation. Being able to be a representative of Philip’s legacy by being a recipient of the PFL Scholarship is an honor. I am a long-time Auburn fan, and can remember, as a fan, being completely devastated by the news of Philip’s passing; however, it wasn’t until several years later that I heard about the Lutzie 43 Foundation.  This scholarship was one that I was most passionate about and was so excited to apply for and receive.

During my sophomore year of high school, my best friend’s sister was in a horrible car accident that was caused by a distracted driver. As a result of the accident, she spent several nights in the ICU and three months in a wheelchair. Shortly after her accident, there was another student in my school who passed away due to an accident caused by a teenage, distracted driver. When these events occurred, I was serving as the head of the FBLA Community Service Team at my high school. I could see the impact that distracted driving was having in my community and how my peers were suffering from these terrible yet avoidable accidents. After a lot of thought, I decided to use my platform as a leader on the community service team to develop a project aimed at raising awareness and preventing distracted driving in my school.  I knew that by talking to my peers at school and through using social media we could make a difference with many teenagers and spread the message and impact that distracted driving was having on our community. I organized a community-wide assembly where foundations like Lutzie 43, Abby’s Angels, Children’s Hospital and the Lincoln Police department were invited to speak about their experiences and share their real-life, powerful stories.  After presenting this idea to my principal, I learned that his brother also died in an avoidable automobile accident, so he was very much in favor of an assembly. Because of his support, the entire Lincoln High School student body attended the event as well as several media outlets. I have been present for many school assemblies in the past but when Mike Lutzenkirchen of Lutzie 43 Foundation his story it was the first time I have ever heard my entire student body completely silent.  You could see from their faces that the story truly impacted them and would make a difference. On social media alone, the community response to the assembly was incredible!

A big part of Philip’s life that stands out to me is how he took his passions, time, dedication and volunteerism, and used his platform to not only impact others but be a light to them. My mom’s favorite quote is “let your light shine” and she has spent my entire life reminding me of that.  The last thing she said to me every day when I got out of the car for school was, “Logan, remember to let your light shine today.” The thing about light is that it drowns out darkness. When light enters a dark room the darkness disappears.  The other truth about light is that it is often contagious. Philip’s life and legacy is a reminder that when you let your light shine no matter where you are and how much you accomplish, you can really change people’s lives. Philip’s life serves as an example to me, that with a brightly shining light, we can enter a sometimes dark world and our light can be the hope. Further, our actions, the way we treat people and the mark we leave on this world can and should influence others. This has really inspired me because I have big aspirations for my life, but it’s really important to me to remember that no matter how much I accomplish my values never change and I always let my light shine. Philip’s life is a reminder that we don’t know the number of our days but, every day is another opportunity to inspire, encourage, support, learn and grow. With that idea in mind, I dedicated my senior year to a year of personal, mental, spiritual, physical and emotional growth. I did this because I recognize that the only way to be able to devote myself to living a life worthy of the calling that has been placed on it is to be the best version of myself and to have the energy to make a difference daily.  Although not knowing him personally, the legacy that he left shows that he strived to give the world the best version of himself and I too would like to model my life in such a way that my legacy reflects that as well. Legacy is a sum of the choices you make. Philip’s legacy is one of kindness, compassion, selflessness, love and most important Godliness. My own path on the Plains starts in the fall and it is very important to me to leave my legacy there just like Philip did.

Meet Logan here.