Why are you passionate about empowering young people to be safer drivers and passengers?
I raised both of my kids to be good passengers or safe drivers who always wore a seat belt and made sure others in the car did as well. However, the last car trip my son took was with his four friends and ended in a crash, ejecting Donovan and two friends because they did not put on their seat belts. Despite my efforts during childhood to teach him about safety, the peer pressure as a teen caused him to make a decision costing him the life he had worked hard to build. All hopes, dreams, and shared days ended in a single road trip filled with bad choices by a carload of teens whom I loved dearly as their proxy “Mom”.
What draws you to the Impact Teen Drivers Mission?
I know first hand the importance of embedding in the hearts of children and teens how not adhering to safe practices can result in tragedy which cannot be reversed. My hope is having my son’s story shared by Impact Teen Drivers there will be people who make better choices before they experience the heart ache my family does every day without Donovan. My passion lies in being a part of the prevention education shared to all ages.
Why do you enjoy being part of Impact Teen Drivers?
My son’s legacy was being a leader of others through sincere compassion. In his memory I want to fulfill his legacy since he can’t, by approaching any one placed in front of me with genuine concern for their safety. The varied curriculums give me an opportunity to connect with people of all ages which brings me fulfillment and fuels my effort to get the message into households versus a single age group.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My grand daughter is the sunshine in my life so any time spent with her brightens my days. Any spare time I have belongs to her and the adventures we share. One of our combined activities is taking piano lessons together which is achieving a lifelong dream of mine.
What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
Dedicated, Empathetic, Driven
