Utica senior honored for texting and driving message

An Eisenhower High School senior has earned national recognition and a $10,000 scholarship to recognize a creative message she shared about the dangers of texting and driving.

Isabel Wallace, of Eisenhower High School, was named the grand prize winner by CTIA Wireless Foundation through its Drive Smart: No Distractions, No Excuses teen digital short contest.
Wallace created an original video to educate others on the dangers of distracted driving, and her winning entry, “Two Things at Once,” used humor to tackle the serious topic.
“Safety is a priority to me when I am inside a vehicle. As a young driver, I know there are many temptations while driving. I keep myself safe by turning my ringer off and putting my phone away,” said Wallace. “I would like young drivers to understand that although there are many temptations while driving, the choice to focus on the road is really not a choice, it’s a must.”
Wallace and her parents traveled to Washington, D.C. where she debuted her video for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She will receive a scholarship worth $10,000 from CTIA Wireless Foundation for her grand prize video.
The video was honored in 2016 with a $2,000 award from Courageous Persuaders, a national organization that promotes safe habits for new drivers. Wallace’s film teacher for the project was Josephine Braun.
Through a partnership with By Kids For Kids, CTIA Wireless Foundation created the Drive Smart campaign to inspire teens to create compelling digital shorts to discourage their peers (and adults) from distracted driving. Wallace’s digital short was selected from hundreds of submissions from eligible students across the country.
The video is available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lcA_nzqxCo&feature=youtu.be
The runners-up were each awarded $5,000 scholarships, and each finalist won a $1,000 scholarship. In addition, the mentors/teachers of each of these six honorees will be recognized for their guidance.
Five judges who are senior executives from the wireless, automotive and advertising industries chose the grand-prize winner, runner-ups and semifinalists. They evaluated entries based on creativity, messaging effectiveness and potential for impact.

Source: Utica Community Schools

Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools

Http://www.uticak12.org