At the onset of my junior year, I made the decision to join a novel club called Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Initially, I had little understanding of what SADD truly represented. As the year progressed, I familiarized myself with the core principles of SADD and chose to channel my efforts towards benefiting the local community. While I found joy in local initiatives, an exciting opportunity to contribute on a national level arose when a fellow chapter member approached me.
The proposition involved submitting a brief video outlining an idea for the Driving Skills 101 Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest aimed at promoting safe driving habits. My concept centered around the notion of missing crucial moments due to an unsafe decision leading to a fatal car accident. Several months after submitting the video, I received notification that I had won the chance to create a PSA with nationwide visibility. The prospect of making a substantial impact thrilled me, and soon, I found myself in discussions with directors to refine and enhance my idea for optimal screen effectiveness.
With the logistics of scenes and dialogue sorted, I took on additional responsibilities, beginning with casting. Turning to friends who shared my passion, though lacking acting experience, they delivered exceptional performances. The next task involved organizing shooting locations, which, with the assistance of my advisor and collaboration with the school resource officer, fell into place seamlessly.
Once the organizational aspects were in order, the actual shooting commenced. Having no prior experience in such endeavors, I leaned on the supportive directors who took charge of unfamiliar aspects while ensuring my input was valued. Witnessing the intricacies involved in producing a one-minute video left me impressed. The day was spent capturing numerous takes and angles to guarantee an outstanding final product.
The community rallied behind my efforts with the PSA, and I found myself featured on local news and my school's news program, Eaglezone. The most significant support, however, came from my SADD chapter members and advisor. Their enthusiasm mirrored mine, recognizing the potential for our chapter to contribute to a national impact. While our primary focus remains on preventing destructive decisions within our community, this PSA allowed us to extend that influence on a grander scale. In conclusion, I am immensely grateful for the opportunities this experience has afforded me.
A special thank you to the National Road Safety Foundation, Alan Weiss Productions and SADD for making this opportunity possible for my growth as a student, to my SADD chapter and our community. Our PSA was also featured on the Teens Kids News program that was aired nationwide. The opportunities we were provided with would not have been possible without the Driving Skills 101 contest.
Watch our award winning PSA here.