Driving is a privilege; it's also a responsibility that could lead to dire consequences, including life or death. The safety of teenage drivers should be an area of emphasis on a national level and not merely a bullet point on a school's curriculum. We're quick to talk about school shootings, mental health, and drug use as threats to the lives of teenagers, yet when teenagers get behind the wheel, one distraction, one mistake, one moment of inexperience may end everything in an instant. That's why driver education is important and vital. Driver's education is the frontline defense to one of the most preventable causes of death among teenagers in America.
When I first learned to drive, I thought I was invincible. I was like so many teenagers who thought confidence was enough to keep them safe. I didn't realize until later, the road does not care how young you are, how great your playlist is, or how fast your reflexes are — it is unyielding. Teenage drivers face several other things beyond stop signs and speed limits. We've given them distractions beyond what teenage drivers face. The distractions of cell phone pings and social media will generate pressure to record everything happening. Add peer pressure and lack of real-life driving experience, to that, then we have a recipe for disaster.
I amount to a disaster firsthand. A classmate of mine, Marcus, had just turned 17 and was now allowed to finally drive his mother's SUV to school. He was generally popular, extremely funny, and always had people in his ear. One Friday after school, he was on his way home but someone told him to "pull up" to a party. He was texting his friend back while making a turn. He never made it to the party. The crash didn't just take his life - it changed and shattered his parents, traumatized our school, and left a big hole in our community. At that moment, my outlook on driving changed forever.
That's when I realized driver's education needs to be more than memorizing road signs. It needs to convey the real and sometimes devastating consequences of unsafe driving - through stories, through testimonials from those who have survived, and through practical simulations. It needs to be raw and uncomfortable. Teens respond to honesty, not daisy-chaining. I would have driven differently from day one if I witnessed what a mother looks like when she is grieving and sharing her story about losing her son in a crash.
For myself, I took Marcus as a challenge. I made the vow to be the safest driver in my group. That meant silencing my phone before I even clipped my seatbelt. It meant stopping if I was upset, tired, or literally distracted. It meant voluntarily being the designated driver even when everyone else was having fun. It meant calling out friends when they wanted to stunt hard for social media when they were driving. It was not always an easy job; at times, people got annoyed or laughed. But I would much rather see a moment of attention lost versus my life. Safe driving is a non-negotiable thing in my lifestyle, and I want to inspire others to also make this choice.
To make real change, it cannot only be about the individual. The schools need to focus on creating modern driver's ed programs that address today's dangers. The programs should include how to manage peer pressure, how to cope with anger or road rage, and how to resist the lure of your phone. Communities could organize driving safety events that include parents as well — most dangerous habits are learned from the passenger seat. We need accountability, mentors, and visibility. Teens should hear from crash survivors, first responders, and especially from people whose choices took somebody's life, because that guilt never goes away.
It is possible to use social media for good. Start a #DriveSafe challenge. Make it iconic. Normalize turning the phone off, pulling over when feeling not up to driving, and asking for help if you are not in a fit state to drive. Teens are listening. It just helps if they can see it in action.
The road is unpredictable. Life can be fragile. Every teen driver needs to hear, you are not invincible. That is not fearmongering — that is the truth. And with the right education, support, and leadership, we can start to stop reading headlines about young lives lost behind the wheel.
We cannot bring Marcus back. But we can make sure that fewer families live the nightmare of losing their child to a mistake of a moment. I am not just driving the car when I start the ignition. I am driving a movement — a movement that prioritizes life, safety, and accountability.
Winning this scholarship would allow me to continue in college, pursuing my goal to become a criminal defense attorney who doesn't just protect people's lives inside a courtroom, but who brings safety, justice, and second chances to all the spaces I operate in. I carry these lessons with me every day. I am never going to stop using my voice to drive change.