My ultimate goal is to pursue a career in motorsports as a driver. I am hopeful that by studying mechanical engineering I will have an understanding of not just how the car works but why and what is going on. I believe that this will make me a better driver and team member, who can speak to the engineers in their own language as to what is going on with the car. My life is racing. It is my passion and deepest love. It's all I want to do and is something that is always in my mind. I'm always working toward being the best driver I can be. I am very different from a lot of the teens I know being one of the only one of my friends who has their drivers licence as well as the fundamental interest in cars that almost none of my friends seem to have.
Teen driver safety is an important public issue, in the same way that maintaining road conditions is critically-needed for everyone’s safety. Poor road conditions from such things like potholes can lead to crashes and other vehicle damage. Untrained teen drivers are the exact same thing! Because they’re a lot less experienced than their adult counterparts, teen drivers tend to make more mistakes. They are more easily-distracted and just don’t have the skills to deal with certain situations that can quickly become dangerous. For example, their response to a car stopping quickly might just be a slam on the brakes, while a more seasoned driver would try to maneuver out of the way. By not helping teens to become better drivers, everybody is at risk. The common mistakes that an adult might make are more likely to be fatal if that happens to a teen driver who was not taught properly.
This is why education is a crucial part to making any new drivers safe on the road. It teaches them many skills that are necessary to survive and avoid dangerous situations. Starting off with classes, outside of the car, truly ingrains key details, like the importance of road signs as well as what to do in certain situations in a stress-free environment. Then, students can continue to practice these concepts on the road with their actual driving permit in real life situations.
I personally sought out more advanced, professional training for my racing career. I found that what I learned was not only important for driving on the track, but also the road. These lessons taught me many important car control skills that helped to improve my safety while driving on the street. I think that all new drivers should take some of these advanced courses and these concepts should be brought into regular lessons
One of the biggest distractions I've seen while driving is people on their phones. It's not just because of texting, but EVERYTHING that a phone can do. Even just taking their eyes off the road to check the directions on the map, managing music, or dismissing messages notifications is dangerous! It’s good practice to avoid being on your phone anytime when the vehicle is moving and to try to not be on it when the vehicle is stopped at a stoplight or stop sign as well. Unfortunately, this is a really complicated problem to solve. Most people use their phones for directions as well as other things like music and communicating with people.
Another big problem for many teens is peer pressure. This is not something I’ve personally experienced as my friends all have great respect for not distracting the driver of the car. But it is something that I definitely know happens, and happens frequently enough that it’s a problem. It’s often very hard to distinguish when someone is driving and someone is just hanging out, as there are many areas of overlap. Friends will attempt to have fun with their friend, who is behind the wheel. As a passenger, it is important to understand that it is your job to not distract the driver. It's hard to say how we can get people to follow these best practices, but it’s definitely something that should be much more instilled in Driver’s Ed. It’s hard to tell your passengers that you need them to either quiet down or maybe talk to you a bit less. You also want to have fun and you want to be with your friends.
It’s very hard to fix these problems, and a lot of the root issues aren’t being taught well enough in Driver’s Ed. They definitely touch on parts, but they don’t ever seem to talk about how it is as a whole - for example, that it isn’t just texting, it's every part of the phone. It might be helpful to include the fact that drivers need to talk to their passengers about possibly not being as rowdy and distracting them while on the road. These are all very hard problems to fix. But I think that, with clear information about how distracting these things actually are, you will help the situation to get better
But fundamentally, one of the most difficult challenges for many people is that Driver‘s Education courses are terribly expensive, especially the behind the wheel training. This makes it cost-prohibitive for people under 18 to access this important education. The irony that the requirements for a learner's permit change depending on whether or not you’re 18. This definitely isn’t helpful for ensuring that drivers get the training they need that would best suit them to be on the road.
As an aspiring racecar driver, my experiences around the pitfalls of being distracted while driving are very unique as compared to other new drivers. When you’re racing, the smallest distraction could be fatal for you and your fellow drivers. Because of my training, I have found that I am much more cognizant of the distractions that are present when I'm off the track and just driving on the street. However, just because I’m aware of these doesn’t mean they don’t still affect me. In addition, there can be unforeseen risks that just teen drivers aren’t 100% ready to deal with.

For example, once when I was on the highway driving to the airport to pick up a friend, I noticed that I was going to the wrong place and had to change directions at the last minute. I am usually very focused on the road and always pay close attention. But somehow, I got distracted and looked off. I then found myself starting to swerve.

Now even when teens are first practicing with their permits, they can run into unforeseen stuff. For example, I had my permit and was practicing in a parking lot with my mom. Unexpectedly, two people randomly started walking into the street, going to their car and I had to figure out what to do quickly to avoid them. Luckily I didn’t hit anybody, but I bet that in situations like that- with pedestrians, bicyclists, animals -it would be hard for a teen driver to necessarily know what to do. Especially when the obstacle occurs in an unpredictable way, like a person jaywalking, or happens quickly. Making sure to keep yourself focused on the road is the best habit you can have because that’s going to be the number one thing that keeps you safe. In fact, that was one of the most important things that they said during my advanced driving course. The driver always needs to keep our eyes not only looking in front, but looking far ahead to see the danger that is coming up.
There are many specific actions that teens, schools, and communities take to promote safer driving among young people. Specifically, I strongly believe that communities need to bring back Driver’s Education to high schools for free. Given the fact most behind the wheel training is now privatized and extremely expensive, it has become a lot harder for students, especially those who come from low income backgrounds, to be able to access. Having proper education will help teens be safe drivers as well as incentivizing people to not wait until 18 and can bypass the learning permit mandates. It will encourage more young people to undertake more extensive driving programs which will ultimately make them better drivers.
In addition, driving schools can do all that they can to make teen driving education programs engaging and fun. Ask for specific actions of teens that balance the facts that the vehicle they are operating is dangerous and that they should always have their priority and focus be on handling the vehicle and nothing and no one else.
Communities can also continue their part to make clear signage, help minimize random pedestrian behaviors like jaywalking, both with can confuse and possibly scare new and inexperienced drivers
Recently, I've had to have a surgery on my arm that has put me out of commission for about 6 months. I can do almost nothing I was able to do before like laundry, cooking, or even showering without some help. I cannot drive a car for six months or participate in any of my racing activities that I had been working so hard toward. This has been one of the hardest things I've had to do. But, it’s been really interesting being this far removed from driving. Because of this distance, I can see not just the things that distract me as a semi new driver but also what distractions affect every young person. I know that this is also a part of my education to better prepare me to be in the driver's seat and focused on achieving my goals.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this contest. I think it is wonderful that you are sponsoring this scholarship to help students, as financial challenges are a significant barrier to achieving educational goals.

I learned a lot about myself in the process of preparing my application. I hope to be remembered as a successful racer and engineer, a valuable team member, and a positive contributor to the community. I would like to be recognized for my abilities, for pushing the boundaries of excellence, and remembered for how I respected and honored those who made my personal success possible.

Because of my dyslexia and early difficulties with school, I hope to inspire young athletes, showing them that their education is just as vital as their athletic development. Even if they have difficulties learning or life obstacles, success can be everyone’s. I want my life to inspire others to pursue their goals and never give up on their dreams.

The idea of "racing to become a safer driver" might seem counterintuitive, but it highlights the idea that learning to drive safely can be an active, even competitive, pursuit. Learning advanced driving techniques through racing or performance driving schools, can improve a driver's ability to react to dangerous situations and control their vehicle. Understanding how to handle a car at its limits can translate to better control in everyday driving scenarios.