Thanks to one of the 2019 PFL Scholarship recipients, Riley Faison, for providing this blog post.

Words can not express my gratitude towards the Lutzenkirchen family and foundation for giving me the honor of being a recipient of the PFL Scholarship. Going into college, I prayed that the Lord would give me the opportunity to take the financial burden of tuition off of my family, and this scholarship is one of many answered prayers. What began as merely a workbook in my sixth-period class soon became life lessons that I will cherish for years to come.

I have lived in Auburn my whole life, so I knew who Philip Lutzenkirchen was, but as we worked through the 43 Lessons to Legacy, Philip became more incredible to me than when I had seen him score the winning touchdown. Each lesson spoke volumes as to the kind of person Philip was and with each lesson, a tugging at both my heart and mind became more insistent. The one thing that always stuck out to me was the genuine love and respect each of the lesson’s authors held for Philip whether they were acquaintances or family. These letters were proof of Philip’s legacy. A legacy that he left because of his devotion to God and his love of people. The more we read, I realized that if I was able to impact even a fraction of the people he had, I would leave behind a legacy I could be proud of. This spurred in me a revitalized desire to live for others and for God above else.

The 43 Key Seconds initiative is another branch of the Lutzenkirchen foundation that had an impact on my life. At the end of April in 2018, my friend and I walked away unharmed from a wreck that had people saying we were beyond lucky. It was an eye-opening experience for me that a man on his phone could have taken my life and completely changed the way I viewed the responsibility of driving. I was not just responsible for myself, but for everyone on the road around me. When I heard the mission behind the 43 Key Seconds initiative, I was all in. My class and I hosted a URKEYS2DRV event and spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

I am humbled to be able to honor Philip’s legacy by taking this scholarship and pursuing a degree in the medical field from Auburn University. In this field, I hope to be able to help others both physically and emotionally. Every aspect of the Lutzenkirchen foundation has inspired me to live my life in a way that will leave a positive impact on those around me no matter the circumstances.