Winning the Prepared for Life (PFL) Scholarship is an incredible honor for me to receive. I feel so incredibly blessed to receive such a prestigious award such as the PFL Scholarship. I am part of a highly impressive group of scholars and high character individuals in this year’s 2024 PFL Scholarship Class. I know we will continue to soar within our academics and future careers.

I grew up within an abusive environment and poverty-stricken childhood. I always aspired to create a legacy past the guilt and shame of the pain I experienced in my home life. I studied my hardest and knew if I wanted to be successful, I would have to work harder than others to receive similar opportunities due to my difficult situation. I was given the opportunity to be placed into the system and placed into the care of the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Boys Ranch. They loved me for who I was and wanted me to seek out my success and dreams like I knew I always wanted to. That is why the mission of the Lutzie 43 Foundation has a special place in my heart. In 2021, my Ranch sisters at the Tallapoosa Girls Ranch were involved in a horrible accident driving home that summer that produced eight deaths to those I loved and had relationships with. In a moment so many people I loved were gone without the chance to say goodbye. So many people in my life were left with the pain and confusion of what to do after permanent pieces of their lives were gone too soon. Though we grew stronger together because of it, I knew there must be a purpose for the pain of losing these incredible young people.

The lesson that resonated with me the most from the 43 Lessons to Legacy curriculum when applying for the PFL Scholarship was discipline and how critical to success it must be. Throughout my life and growth as a young man producing success within my education, as a businessman, and a future father, discipline has rendered me the most impactful results. For most of my life I had felt behind everyone else around me and I was told I could never have my dreams come true because of what family I came from and the lack of financial opportunity I would encounter.  I chose to be the one to break the generational curses of alcoholism and abuse and poverty. I chose to pursue my dreams and not listen to the lies that I would never be good enough to succeed or be happy. Discipline ties into every facet of a person’s life. Discipline behind the wheel means removing distractions that could cause accidents impacting my family’s life and the people around me. If everyone who decides to drive under the influence chose to be disciplined and not take the risk, so many people would have never been killed and brought pain to their families.

I am so excited to be invited into the Lutzie 43 Foundation family. There are connections between the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches and the Lutzie 43 Foundation that make this a special connection that I could not be more honored to be apart of. I have begun to learn more about the story and family of Philip Lutzenkirchen and they are creating an amazing mission that is truly creating change for the better. I have many life skills and attributes I aspire to achieve within my story that I can attest to learning from the 43 Lessons to Legacy curriculum. If I could have the same impact as a leader on those around me and on society such as Philip, I would know I am winning. I strive to be leader at a job, a business owner, and over a family like the example Philip led.

I am pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University this Fall! Auburn has one of the nation’s leading engineering programs and I am honored to strive for greatness at my dream school. I have worked full time throughout college and have started and developed two businesses of my own. I hope that I can transfer these values and discipline to my children one day and create a generational line of blessings that override what I been through. I want to thank Mr. Lutzenkirchen and the entire Lutzie 43 Foundation for believing in me and investing into my future.  I want to represent those coming from the system and group homes to pursue their dreams and to ignore the lies that the world may tell us. You are loved, you have a purpose and choose to love yourself enough to believe in your vision.