Michigan high school students can apply now for the Michigan Auto Law Kelsey’s Law Scholarship to stop distracted driving; application deadline is August 31
Michigan Auto Law is once again sponsoring the Kelsey’s Law Scholarship to stop distracted driving, which gives Michigan high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to help pay for college while simultaneously convincing their peers to stop texting while driving.
Named to honor the life and memory of then 17-year-old Kelsey Raffaele who lost her life in a 2010 distracted driving car accident, the Kelsey’s Law Scholarship also seeks to acknowledge and serve as a reminder of the law that was passed in Kelsey’s name in 2013 which prohibits teen drivers from using a cell phone while they’re driving.
We’re proud to be partnering with Kelsey’s mother, Bonnie Raffaele, a tireless and passionate advocate for ending distracted driving, in sponsoring the scholarship for what is now its third year.
I’m writing today to remind all Michigan high school juniors and seniors that the application deadline for Kelsey’s Law Scholarship is August 31, 2018.
To learn more about the application process and to apply, please check out the 2018 Kelsey’s Law Scholarship page.
My timing of this reminder is purposeful.
With the lessons from National Distracted Driving Awareness Month still fresh in our minds, I wanted people to be thinking about Kelsey, her law and the scholarship when they’re thinking about NOT driving while distracted.
Plus, as we get into prom and graduation season in May and students’ thoughts turn more and more to the future, I want them to think about the scholarship as a way to help both themselves and others.
What is the Kelsey’s Law Scholarship?
The Kelsey’s Law Scholarship honors the memory of Kelsey Raffaele – a Sault Ste. Marie teenager who lost her life in a 2010 distracted driving crash – by encouraging teen drivers to refrain from distracted driving and to persuade their peers to do the same.
Applicants must submit either a video, a graphic or a tweet that conveys a persuasive message to other teen drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and the necessity of not driving while distracted.
Texting and other forms of distracted driving are becoming the cause of more and more crashes, and it appears over and over in the lawsuits that we file and the cases we see. In addition, the number of crashes in Michigan involving a driver age 17 or younger is on the rise.
Each year, we award a total of $5,000 to four Michigan high school students with the winning safety messages.
Winning a Kelsey’s Law Scholarship
Of course, the deadline to submit entries to apply for the scholarship is August 31, 2018.
Winners will be announced during the week of October 21, 2018 – during National Teen Driver Safety Week. Awards will be applied toward tuition at any university, college or technical school in the U.S. for higher education.
To get an idea of what we’re looking for, here are the winning submissions for the 2017 Kelsey’s Law Scholarship.
