In collaboration with the Kiefer Foundation, the Kelsey’s Law Scholarship is open for submissions until April 7. Hosted by the Michigan Auto Law, the scholarship awards a total of $10,000 in scholarships, with the highest winners receiving $2,000. 

The scholarship is being offered to juniors and seniors in private or public high schools who have a valid Michigan driver’s license. The scholarship can be used for any college, university or technical school in the United States.

If you are a Michigan driver, you probably know Kelsey’s Law, but not by name. The law prohibits cell phone use while driving. When it was first passed in 2013, the law only applied to Level One and Two students of the Michigan Graduated Driver Licensing program. In June 2023, it was expanded to all drivers, not just teens. 

Bonnie Raffaele fought for this law to be created after her daughter Kelsey died in an automobile crash at 17 because of distraction by her cell phone. Michigan Auto Law connected with the mother’s story and reached out to her to create a scholarship to honor Kelsey. 

“It started with the distracted driving and me going out with my big mouth and getting a law passed … trying to help teens because I know that’s what Kelsey would want to happen,” said Raffaele. “She would be the first person to say, ‘don’t be stupid like me and do what I did, put the phones away.’”

The scholarship aims to raise awareness about distracted driving among teens directly from creative projects made by teens. Submissions can either be a graphic, x (tweet) or YouTube video. 

There are two winners per category. The top video submissions receive $1,500, the top graphics receive $1,000 and the top tweets receive $500. The overall best submissions receive $2,000. Applicants can only receive one of each award. 

The tone of the submission can vary from sentimental to comedic, but overall it must discourage distracted driving. In the best overall submission for 2018, Isabel Wallace demonstrates in her video that multitasking is unsuccessful, especially while driving.

Winners of the scholarship from previous years are on the Michigan Auto Law website.

Students can apply and get more information about the Kelsey’s Law Scholarship on the Michigan Auto Law website. Winners will be announced sometime in April 2024, during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.