Images/Videos: Courtesy of Michigan Auto Law
Michigan Auto Law Announces Winners For Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship!
$5,000 Was Awarded To Four Michigan High SchoolStudents Who Provided Compelling Messages Discouraging Teens From Distracted Driving!
As we are in the midst of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Michigan Auto Law is pleased to announce the 2025 Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship winners. The scholarship is awarding a total of $5,000 to four winners for their graphic and video submissions. The scholarship gives teen drivers in their Junior and Senior years of High School the platform to raise awareness by crafting a compelling message that convinces young drivers to reduce distractions while driving – and persuades all drivers, especially teenage drivers, to stop texting while driving.
The Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship,
was created in 2016 by Michigan Auto Law and Kelsey Raffaele’s mother Bonnie, to honor her 17-year-old daughter who tragically lost her life in a cell-phone related automobile crash in 2010.
Through this annual scholarship and their many community outreach efforts, Michigan Auto Law, the largest law firm in Michigan that specializes exclusively in helping auto accident victims, hopes to inspire change and raise awareness on the dangers of distracted driving, especially with young and inexperienced drivers.
Each year, the Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship is open to all 11th and 12th grade students attending any public or private high school in Michigan. These Juniors and Seniors are encouraged to create and submit compelling messages through videos and graphics that resonate with their peers and aim to encourage all drivers, especially young drivers, to reduce distractions while driving.
Since the scholarship’s inception, Bonnie Raffaele, has proven to be a steadfast supporter and invaluable partner of Michigan Auto Law by providing guidance and helping to select each of the scholarship winners. “All it takes is one split second for something to happen,” stated Bonnie. “This year’s submissions portray a variety of situations which lead drivers to stop and think before getting behind the wheel.”
Steve Gursten, Attorney and Owner of Michigan Auto Law, expressed, “as lawyers,
it is devastating to work with families who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving. We will continue to make it our mission to bring awareness to the harmful effects of distracted driving by providing information and opportunities like the Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship for our drivers, young and old, in Michigan.”
Winners for the Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship were chosen based on the students’ ability to persuade others to stop texting while driving, grab the attention of friends and family, deliver a clear and understandable message, and showcase personal creativity and ingenuity.
The scholarship funds will be applied towards tuition at any university, college, or technical school in the United States for this year’s four winners. The $5,000 combined total in scholarship funds offers various award amounts per category, including one $2,000 scholarship for the overall best submission, one $1,500 for best video submission, $1,000 for the most impactful message, and $500 for the best graphic submission.
The 2025 winners are listed below based on their category.
A full list of winners and their submissions can be found by visiting www.MichiganAutoLaw.com/Scholarships.
Best Overall Submission Winner
David Graunstadt
Athens High School
“I hope the message behind my video inspires young drivers to keep everyone safe and avoid distractions while on the road.” – David Graunstadt
Best Video Submission Winner
Emma Kitzmiller
Sault Area High School
Most Impactful Message Winner
Allison Boruta
Byron Center High School
Best Graphic Submission Winner
Ellen Schans
Byron Center High School
“It means so much to receive a scholarship in honor of someone who left such a powerful legacy. I’m happy that the message I portrayed in my graphic was impactful. If it informs just one person of the dangers of distracted driving, then I think the work I put into it was well worth it.” – Ellen Schans
Driving distractions are more than just using a cell phone and/or texting, but also eating and drinking, reading, using navigations systems, and even changing radio stations. Through the support and tireless advocacy of Bonnie Raffaele, the Kelsey’s Law was passed in Michigan in 2013, prohibiting cell phone use by teen drivers with a Level 1 or Level 2 graduated license. Teen drivers are prohibited from initiating a call, answering a call, or listening to or engaging in verbal communications through a cell phone while they’re behind the wheel – regardless of whether the phone is hand-held or in “voice-operated” mode. Teen drivers who violate Kelsey’s Law may be ticketed by law enforcement officers.
According to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts,
more than 21.4% of the drivers involved in distracted driving-related crashes in Michigan in 2023 were between the ages of 15 and 20 years of age. Furthermore, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 7% of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. in 2022 were teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19. These statistics emphasize the urgent need to address distracted driving among young drivers.
Bonnie Raffaele has been a steadfast supporter and invaluable partner of Michigan Auto Law’s through the Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness. Over the last several years, Michigan Auto Law has worked with Bonnie Raffaele to award the Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship to students from such schools as: Bryon Center High School (Shelbyville), Forest Hills Northern High School (Grand Rapids), North Farmington High School (Farmington Hills), Wayland Union High School (Wayland), Huron High School (Ann Arbor), Caledonia High School (Caledonia), Troy Athens High School (Troy) and Eisenhower High School (Macomb), Woodhaven High School (Brownstown), Hamilton High School (Holland), and Marshall High School (Marshall). These students have gone on to continue their education at colleges and universities such as Adrian, Schoolcraft, Columbia College in Chicago, Michigan State University, and Lansing Community College, just to name a few.
About Michigan Auto Law
Michigan Auto Law is the leading and largest law firm in Michigan exclusively handling auto accident cases for more than 50 years. The firm has litigated thousands of motor vehicle accidents and personal injury lawsuits, securing multimillion dollar settlements and verdicts throughout the State of Michigan. Michigan Auto Law has been listed for 17 consecutive years with top reported settlements and trial verdicts in Michigan. With a 100% satisfaction guarantee, 98% of cases resulting in great settlements, attorneys that are leaders in the legal world and experts on auto crash laws, all have led to Michigan Auto Law being considered the best in the business and being named to “The Best Lawyer’s in America” for 10 years in a row. Michigan Auto Law’s mission is to help those in need, which includes giving back to the communities they serve, and helping to make Michigan a better and safer place.