Being a part of the 2025 Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship class is truly an exciting accomplishment. Receiving this scholarship means the world to me, as it will help me pay for college which will mark the next phase of my journey at Alabama A&M University. Not only has this scholarship helped me monetarily, but it also gave me an opportunity to learn more about Philip Lutzenkirchen through the legacy that’s been created for him through the Lutzie 43 Foundation.
Although I never met Philip his life story reflects the kind of person that I aspire to be both in a vehicle and in the world. Philip’s story taught me that to show up for your community is to make an impact on the world. Although I am saddened by Philip’s story, I am also filled with hope for the future because Philip has left behind a blueprint of how one’s life should be lived. The 43 key seconds pledge that I signed, prepared me to see Philip’s life and in turn my own life through a new lens. Not only do I abide by the 43 Key Seconds safe driving pledge to serve my community on the road by ensuring their safety and mine, but I also use its framework to guide me through my interactions with others in the world. Just as there are steps to safety in a vehicle, there are steps to success in being a civic leader that I have taken away from Philip’s life. The first takeaway that I have added to my checklist from Philip’s life is “be the example”. Being the example means to exude purpose in all actions. The second takeaway is “always strive for greatness”. Not only is this takeaway important as an athlete, but also as a civic leader. Striving for greatness demands us to act honestly and justly even during critical situations, so that one may always uphold and stay true to their values. My third takeaway is “be known for something greater than yourself”. This takeaway is important to me because my life is better not because of what I have done on my own, but because of what I’ve built and grown with others. My fourth takeaway is “build a legacy”. Building a legacy means leaving something tangible behind for the next generation to grasp on to, so that they may have guidance on what it means to live a life of service to their community. Finally the last takeaway that I have gained from Philip’s life is “go forth and be great”. This resonates with me because my mom tells me this all the time and Philip’s life is the perfect example of what that means. “Go forth and be great” means do not hide your talents from the world. It means to understand one’s value and role to make their community a better place.
Every step of this process required me to reflect on Philip’s life and my own, which led me to five main takeaways that I can use in my life. As I continued to reflect, I started to make connections between my life and Philip’s life. Just like Philip, I am a teammate, friend and sibling. Moreover, the thing that Philip and I have most in common is our love for the world and yearning to make the world a better place because we take our role as civic leaders in society very seriously. I especially connected to Philip’s accomplishments on the football field because it’s proof of how he used his God given talent to serve his teammates and coaches. By doing so he not only made his family proud, but also served as an example to all aspiring athletes like myself. Philip’s life demonstrates to me how I can use the grit, perseverance, energy, discipline, and confidence that help me excel on the tennis court to also serve my community.
Additionally, this application process has equipped me with lessons that I can take with me as I embark on the next phase of my life at Alabama A&M University. The transferable nature of the values that we have can help us remain strong in the face of adversity, no matter the situation. For example, one of the most important lessons that I learned was courage. To Philip, courage meant taking a stand based on his beliefs regardless of what others would say or think about him. This lesson of courage proves that as long as I am doing the right thing, I have every reason to be proud of myself and my actions. However criticism is often a major challenge associated with courage because in order to have courage you must have obstacles before you. While fear may try to scare me out of making the right decision, I know that choosing courage won’t always be easy. Courage is, however, the choice that prioritizes my safety and ensures that I can live out life to my fullest potential.