“I don’t even know how you would like Georgia. They suck and they don’t even have cute colors!” a girl accosted me as I stepped in my camp cabin for the first time. “No way! Red and black are so much cuter than red and white. Y’all look like a knock off Christmas,” I snapped back and attacked her for wearing an Alabama shirt, never realizing this girl would soon be my best friend. 

When I was eight, my mother had found a camp in Dahlonega, and it was my first year going. The Alabama superfan was Grace Addison Bunke. We soon settled our differences, bonding over our love of competitive swimming. We were inseparable and did absolutely everything together. Grace and I were always partners even when they told us we couldn’t be. There were some nights we even fell asleep in each other’s bunks. Our parents had to pry us apart to get us to leave. With tears streaming down our faces, we vowed to write letters almost weekly. Somehow our little 10-year-old selves managed to stay in touch until one day, I never got a response. 

The years came and went, and I didn’t hear from her. I kept going to camp in hopes of reconnecting with her. Then one summer, a small weak-looking girl hobbled in wearing an

Alabama shirt with Alabama crutches. I felt a sense of relief come over me. I looked her up and down to see a mere shell of her past self. She looked to be no more than 50 pounds, and she had lost her long beautiful hair, but she still had her sparkling eyes and an amazing smile. That is how I knew who she was. When I saw her for the first time after all those years, she looked like a china doll that would break if a baby touched her. 

When she saw me she ran over and fell into my arms, sobbing. I hugged her until we could not stand anymore. She pulled away and looked up at me and told me she had been battling cancer. This 12-year-old girl was fighting Osteosarcoma, a rapidly growing bone cancer. She stepped back and said, “I thought you wouldn’t recognize me without my hair.” She then told me that she beat it. She said exactly, “I kicked cancer’s ass.” 

We spent that week together attached at the hip. I was always so careful around her and made sure no one even looked at her in the wrong way. When that week was over, I had a feeling that it would be our last together. On Thursday night, we went to the altar hand in hand, and I prayed over her. I was a child and barely knew how to pray, yet she trusted me enough to share that moment with her to sit on the cold, damp chapel floor holding her while she did nothing but thank God for her life. 

The week came to a close, and once again, we vowed to stay in touch and go to week 5 every year, but then she stopped coming, and eventually we lost touch once again. I wasn’t allowed to have social media, so I felt like I had lost a part of me when she stopped writing back. I thought of her daily, wondered how she was doing, and prayed for her every morning and

night. I think the uncertainty is what killed me on the inside. I knew that her time on this Earth was limited, but I never knew she would be taken from us so soon. 

March 24th, 2018, is a day that will live in my heart forever. I was clicking through Snapchat one night, not knowing my life was about to change. I saw hundreds of people posting their wrists with the word “Grace'' written in gold. I called one of my friends to ask what it meant, and he said a sentence that I will never forget, “Our friend passed away from cancer today; she would have been 15 tomorrow.” This sentence haunts me every single day. I felt like I had been hit by a wrecking ball, and a wave of sadness and disbelief washed over me. He didn’t even say her name, but somehow I just knew. I reached under my bed for my picture box and found the only picture that I had of us together. We were standing in front of the falls soaking wet with our arms around each other. You could practically see the goosebumps on our skin from how cold we were. I could barely breathe but somehow managed to mutter out a question. I asked him in a small whisper, “ Is this her? Is it Grace Bunke?” He said yes, and my legs fell out from underneath me. I cried until I physically could not cry anymore. I laid on my bedroom floor just cursing God and wondering how He could take her from us so soon. 

I was 15 and had never really experienced death before. All I could think of was that my best friend had lost her battle. Thoughts began to fill my head, wondering why. I so vividly remembered her telling me she had beaten it. I will never know if she lied to me all those summers ago, or if the cancer returned again. All I could think of was the possibility that she believed she had beaten it, and that the doctors had lied to her. Doctors are supposed to be the

people who help us get better, and they were supposed to keep her alive. She trusted her doctors to give it their all and tell her the truth, but all that I believed in that moment was their betrayal when they told Grace she had “kicked cancer’s ass.” 

Later on, when I could manage to find the strength to look at her Instagram, I reconnected with our friend Sydney. She truly had been Grace’s rock. I could only be with her one week out of the year and Sydney was with her 52. Through Sydney, I found out that Grace went through 18 rounds of chemotherapy, a rotationplasty (which I had known about), had three lung surgeries, participated in an immunotherapy clinical trial, and relapsed three times. In 2017 she was diagnosed with spinal cancer and that was the beginning of the end. In my mind, each time she won and the doctors told her she was cancer-free, they had lied. They lied to me, to Grace, to everyone. In my lowest point of grief, all I could think of was her laying in a cold dark hospital room, begging to feel better. The doctors lied to her and told her she would get better. This little girl was fighting for her life for four years, and all they did was lie to her. 

It's been almost three years now, and I don’t blame the doctors anymore. She was young, and the doctors did all they could have done, but that was the first time I realized that not every story has a happy ending. She was an amazing girl and an inspiration to everyone she was around. She never used her cancer as an excuse. She did everything I did, and most of the time did it better. Grace Addison Bunke was taken from us too soon, and I wish there was more I could have done. I try to do everything for her that she never got to do. My biggest regret is that I

couldn't go to her funeral and haven’t visited her grave yet. I know she's watching over me every day and truly is my guardian angel. 

I see Grace in every sunrise, every sunset, in the mountains, and can feel her when I swim. Every year on March 25, I wake up sobbing and go to her Instagram to tell her “Happy Birthday” with hundreds of other people. I miss my Amazing Grace every day, and my life is forever changed because of her.

The Dangers of Speeding 

Speeding is the act of driving above the posted speed limit, but is also the act of driving too fast for road conditions. When driving, the speed limit is posted at a certain speed, to help protect drivers and passengers in vehicles. These laws may seem annoying, counterproductive, and frustrating, but they are there for a reason. They help reduce accidents, hazards, save drivers, and save lives. When a driver goes above the  speed limit it puts them and other drivers around them at risk. 

A few weeks ago I was coming home from Warner Robins because I saw my best friend’s baby brother.  I had driven from Greensboro to Warner Robins because I knew that with the rough night  I had in front of me I would be in need of a few smiles. I was going to a memorial football game dedicated to two of my friends from Putnam County who had been killed in a car wreck the week before. I was still thinking of Gannon (my best friend's little brother) and Litto and Lane; my mind was thinking of everything besides how fast I was going.

It was about a two hour drive and I was thinking the entire way home. Last year my little sister and I started going to school in Morgan County even though we live in Greene County.  I began driving to school every day about a thirty  mile drive to school each way. My mom had me taking back roads, side roads, the interstate, and highways so I could be as prepared as a driver as I could.

 When I was driving home as I had previously mentioned I was thinking about the rough night I was going to have. I came down a hill and did not even see the squad car; next thing I knew I saw the flashing blue lights behind me, then next to me. I began to slow down and I saw an arm point at me and I knew I was getting pulled over. I was immediately so scared. I had no clue what to do. I merged over to the other lane and pulled off to the side of the road and put on my hazards as I had always been told to do.  I pulled over to the side and there was as the  car in front of  me did as well. The entire time while I was waiting, I was running through all the situations in my head of how my speeding could have endangered me and others and how much trouble I was going to be in . 

As soon as Lieutenant. Douglas came to my window and asked me where I was going and why I was going so fast. I answered simply and told him I was going to a football game for two of my friends who had passed away.   He asked me who bought my car and then asked for my license. I gave it to him and he went back to his car and called my mom.I did not realize how badly I was speeding until I checked my phone after Lieutenant. Douglas left my car and I saw the speed limit was fifty five.  I instantly found it hard to breathe realizing I had just gotten a Super Speeder. As soon as he left my passenger side window I called my mom to let her know that she was about to get a call from an officer. I knew if my mom got a call and it started with “Tracy this is  Lieutenant. Douglas…” her mind would have gone to the worst place possible.

 When I called her she asked if I was joking with an uneven laugh behind her voice, I told her no and while we were on the phone Lieutenant. Douglas called her. I kept my passenger side window down and I could hear vague parts of their conversation. I heard only what my mom had said. She said things such as “are you joking , seriously, and you have got to be kidding me.”.  After waiting for what could have been no more than five to ten minutes (even though it seemed like an eternity) he came back to my car.  I looked at him and he seemed to be understanding of how scared I was even if I did not show it. He gave me two options: to either go to court and face the penalty of a super speeder, which most likely would result in my license  being taken away until I was eighteen or even twenty one,  or write an essay about the dangers of speeding. When he gave me my options I quickly  chose the essay, realizing how blessed I was and how he was helping me in a situation that I needed help in. As soon as he told me the option for the essay I cut him off saying I would do it. I think he did a slight chuckle at my eagerness and I then realized that he really did want to give me another opportunity. He then gave me my yellow ticket and a business card with my topic “the dangers of speeding” and told me it had to be five thousand words. I instantly thought “oh my five thousand”, but I am an advanced placement and honours student and I knew I could do it. Before he left my car he gave me directions on how to get back on the road as safely as I could, and I realized he did care. I have had friends who have gotten pulled over and have not been as lucky as me to have a law enforcement officer who really seemed to care. 

 I am going into my junior year of high school and I have always had a lot of older friends. When I was about twelve or thirteen a lot of my friends began to get their license and thus began the small town ticket epidemic. I went to a very small school and it seemed like daily I had friends coming in saying how they got pulled over or almost did, and ninety nine percent  of the time it was for speeding, and the other one percent was for running a stop sign, or their window tint being too dark. I remember vividly how one of my friends had gotten a Super Speeder and how he told me the story. He went on a rant about how rude he was to the police officer because it “was not his fault” , later that year he got into a wreck and totaled his car.

 When Lieutenant. Douglas came to my car. The first thing I did was read his name tag and realized his ranking. A majority of my family has served our country in some way so my sister and I have always been raised to treat police officers, marines, and other people who risk their lives daily politely and treat them with the utmost respect. Lieutenant Douglas was very understanding with me and I truly believe that him pulling me over was someone's way of telling me to slow down and help me and protect me from an accident I may have gotten in while driving home.  I thought about how I could have hurt myself or others. If I was not pulled over I could have injured myself and other people by driving at such a high speed.  

When I arrived home my mom was waiting for me. I had called her on the way home and I could hear the strain in her voice. I called her and told her I would be straight home, knowing I would miss the football game between Litto and Q Lane. It was sad that I missed it but I knew the boys were watching over me and they would understand. My mom told me we would discuss my punishment when I got home and I knew how much trouble I really was in.  I drove home directly on the speed limit thinking about how my mom must have been reacting and how scared she must have been even with me calling her ahead of time. I drove the rest of the way home in silence, and it was about a fifty minute drive. As I pulled down the two-lane road to get home dread began to sit on it. I knew I was in a lot of trouble and I knew I had hurt my mom. I had already agreed to give her my keys so as I pulled into the driveway I wiped my tears and took my key off the key chain. As soon as I walked into the house she grabbed me and started crying. She said that she never wanted to get a call from an officer again and  I knew this is how she would have reacted. 

With so many wrecks happening in our small town I wondered what would have gone through her head if I did not call her first. I knew her mind would have gone to the worst place possible thinking I was in a wreck or that I had died. She has Life 360 and watches my speed and phone use.  She  had warned me about my speed several times before and I always listen. When I was driving home from Warner Robins my mind was just in another place and once again getting pulled over helped me realize how fast I really was going and how I could have harmed myself or someone else. 

When driving, people should take time to make sure they are doing everything to protect their safety and others. According to section 40-6-180 of Georgia vehicle codes “No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard for the actual and potential hazards than existing.””(Georgia Speed Limits, Laws, and Fines).  This law was put into place to protect drivers and also allow for them to realize that the posted speed is not always what is described as the safest for conditions. A driver should always go the speed that conditions permit, which could be described as going under the speed limit if weather is hazardous, but should never go over the posted speed. “According to section 40-6-184(a)(1) of Georgia vehicle code “No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”(Georgia Speed Limits, Laws, and Fines).  When driving a person should never go below the speed limit to the point that it could cause other drivers to become frustrated or cause the flow of traffic to move below a normal rate. When a driver is speeding it causes drivers to have a limited amount of time to react. “Reaction times vary greatly with situation and from person to person between about 0.7 to three seconds (sec or s) or more.”(Braking Factors). When speeding your reaction time has to be faster because you have to account for the amount of time you have to have to have your vehicle come to a complete stop. “ The eighty fifth percentile speed is the speed eighty fifth percent of traffic travels at or below, fifteen percent  travel faster. A traffic study is supposed to be conducted over a relatively long period to determine the eighty fifth percentile speed empirically. Some places set the limit eight to twelve miles per hour below the eighty fifth percentile speed, resulting in more speeders and red light runners.”(Breaking factors). I know my reaction time is really good because I am a goalkeeper and a catcher, but there is only so much reaction time that can help when you are speeding because things can happen in the blink of an eye. When a person is speeding they are already hindering their own abilities and putting others at risk. 

When driving I almost never speed and try my best to stay no more than two miles per hour above the posted speed limit. When I was pulled over I realized how I put myself at risk and others. Before writing this essay I thought I understood how speeding can end. I know a bit about speed as  my dad races top fuel hydro boats, which can reach speeds of over two hundred and fifty miles per hour. While researching I realized the absolute danger of something so simple as going above the posted speed limit. 

I recently had two of my close friends pass away. I knew both of them quite well and they were normally great drivers. The night that they passed away they were speeding at a great rate of speed on a road they had been on millions of times before. They took a turn too fast and the car swerved and  then  the driver tried to overcorrect and  flipped the car. They were under the influence of alcohol, which a driver should never have that issue when driving, and they were going at a speed faster than anyone should ever go. The wreck happened just a few days before I was pulled over. With Litto and Lane in my mind I should have been watching my speed more than I was and I know that now and knew that then. I was on the way to a football game in their honor which really should have had me thinking about the dangers of speeding. The death of two of my friends made a huge impact on my life and will have forever changed me and changed me the moment I found out. Everyone in our town knew that if they were not going as fast as they were there was a possibility that they could still be with us today.

When one of my really good friends first got their license, they called me and told me how free they were. She started rambling about now only having to rely on themselves to go places and they no longer had to wait for their parents to pick them up. A few weeks after they started driving she called me saying that they didn't realize the severity of what happens when they get behind the wheel. Then one night my friend  called me very late. She called me telling me how she was coming home after dark,  bringing her family food and then when she came around a turn there was a person in the road and if she were speeding they would have hit them. She managed to slam on their breaks and avoid the young man, then she told me how they pulled over and called the police. If she were going over the speed limit even just a tad she could have ended up in a much different situation. When that happened I vowed to be the most cautious driver I could be. 

There are so many situations where speeding can seem harmless but lead to events that are catastrophic. Such as one my mom always told me:

I could be coming home from a party one night late one night and I could be really tired and close to curfew so I could be trying to get home as fast as I could. She always warned me about not to go a little faster and hit that gas pedal just a little bit harder so I could get home

and as soon as I possibly could. While speeding things can go smoothly until they can change in a split second  it could all change. The wheels of my vehicle collided with a giant pothole in the road ( especially on the road we live on), hit a deer, or even another car or truck. This could end up sending my car off the road and could possibly kill me. This is the situation my mom always told me, because it had  an infinite number of hypothetical situations that could happen in reality, all due to me wanting to just get home a little faster.

I live in the country so there are many small two lane roads that have very slow speed limits. The highest speed limit in my town is fifty five, it may seem slow at some times but it can save lives. There are so many deer, cows, coyotes, squirrels, birds, turkeys, armadillos, foxes,  and other animals that could cause serious damage to a car. The roads are also full of potholes and sharp turns. The speed limit may be slow but it can save lives. The limit is posted to protect drivers and help keep people safe from things that could happen in a split second. When speeding people may not be able to avoid the animals or potholes and it could end extremely badly. If a person decides to speed on a slower road it could end in thousands of dollars in damages or even a loss of a life. 

Young drivers often do not understand how speeding can affect them. “About twenty percent of young driver and passenger deaths occur in speed-related crashes”(Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless). That statistic is one that could be avoided completely. “In a high-speed crash, a passenger vehicle cannot handle the force of the crash. As crash speeds get very high, airbags and seat belts do not work as well to keep passengers safe. Speed influences the risk of crashes and crash injuries in three basic ways”(Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless). When crashing at high speeds your body is still moving at the same speed and momentum until it hits the seatbelt or another object if the person does not have one on.” If a driver doubles his/her speed – say from thirty miles per hour to sixty miles per hour – the braking distance does not become twice as long. It has become four times as far. Traveling at fifty five miles per hour, it will take about six seconds to stop the vehicle. The vehicle will travel approximately three hundred and two feet before coming to a stop. That is longer than the length of a football field”(Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless). This fact is one I have always been told but seeing it in writing really shows that it is true. If you are traveling at twenty miles per hour and forty miles per hour you would have to break an extremely different amount of time than you would have if you were going twenty. It is insane how just a small difference in speed can cause a humongous difference in safety. Even the person with the best reaction time can not control how long it takes for them to stop their car. 

“Speeding to keep up with the flow of traffic is not legal and the driver can still be ticketed.”(Know Why Speeding is Dangerous and Reckless). This fact is a basic one but one that is often forgotten. If a pack of cars is moving faster than the speed limit they could all be pulled over. I know before I did my Joshua's Law I believed that. I always thought that if a car was moving in a pack they would not be pulled over but in reality you are more likely to get pulled over in a pack. An officer could pull up next to the pack of cars and point and pull everyone over. The downside of moving in a pack is you could have a car that is moving slower than the pack of cars then they could hinder traffic. The car could cause road rage and for other cars to make decisions that they would not make in their normal driving. They could pass in the right lane, ride on someone’s bumper or even go off the road or cross on a double yellow line. I have seen all of these happen. 

My family and I were coming home from Athens one day, which has a long two lane road which is very hard to pass on because there are very few spots. We were driving and were about halfway to Athens when the cars in front of us started to dive off the side of the road. My mom was driving and followed the car in front of us off the road. Not even a second after my mom made that decision we saw a young driver no more than eighteen or nineteen was trying to pass about four cars and misjudged the distance. She passed us going about eighty five miles per hour and was screaming. She got so impatient with the driving and most likely made a decision she would not have made in normal circumstances. The girl driving could  have caused a major accident and most likely would have lost her life. 

My mom always told me that a car is a weapon and you are the only person who could control your weapon. “The average new car weighed three thousand two hundred and one pounds in 1987 but four thousand and nine  pounds in 2010. Even small-size sedans have packed on the pounds, thanks to more-powerful—if more-efficient—engines, as well as features like nicer seats, more safety features, and more legroom.”(Your Big Car Is Killing Me), with cars becoming heavier and wrecks becoming worse. It is not a hard fact to understand that if a smart car gets in a wreck with a semi truck that it will end very badly.  A Camry is a much smaller car than a Tahoe and anyone can tell that by taking a look. “The researchers confirmed that the heavy cars kill. Indeed, controlling “for own-vehicle weight, being hit by a vehicle that is 1,000 pounds heavier results in a forty seven percent increase” in the probability of a fatal accident. The chance is even higher if the heavy car is an SUV, pickup truck, or minivan.”(Your Big Car Is Killing Me). This fact just proves what my mother always told me. When a person is driving  a car they are now in control of their lives, their passenger’s lives and the lives of everyone who is around them. With more and more people driving and buying a vast arrangement of cars the roads are becoming more and more dangerous but safer at the same time. With cars becoming safer they are also becoming more eco friendly but speeding can emit more emissions to the planet. 

When a car is driving faster it uses more gas, thus putting more harmful gasses into the earth's atmosphere. “Measuring carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide output at a number of recording stations along highways in the three states, van Benthem finds that increasing the speed limit to sixty fiver miles per hour resulted in a twenty three percent increase in carbon monoxide levels and a sixteen percent increase in nitrogen oxide levels.”(Issues Of The Environment: The Impacts Of Increasing Michigan's Speed Limits). With more and more cars on the road, if more people speed, more and more harmful gasses are emitted into the air. With more harmful emissions in the air this can help add to a global warming effect.

Global warming is a major debate in the scientific community currently. Whether  it is true or not the earth is getting warmer and humans are contributing to it, and speeding is no help to it. While researching this topic I came across this point: “Collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all US emissions, emitting around twenty four pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases for every gallon of gas. About five pounds comes from the extraction, production, and delivery of the fuel, while the great bulk of heat-trapping emissions—more than nineteen pounds per gallon—comes right out of a car’s tailpipe.”(Cars and global warming). I knew speeding was harmful but I did not realize how much a car could put into the air. Driving is a necessity but while doing it people need to take action to help. With speeding people do not really think about the negative impacts they have on our earth but it is harmful. Speeding can cause just as much damage to the earth as it can to your parents bank account. 

When driving a person has to pay insurance on their car.  “The average car insurance cost in Georgia is one thousand three hundred and eighty eight dollars per year — less than the nationwide average by two point eight percent”(What's the Average Cost of Car Insurance in Georgia?).  Insurance is normally more expensive for 16 year olds because of the large amounts of accidents they cause. “Five thousand eight hundred and sixty four  teen drivers ages 15-20 were involved in a fatal car accident. Young drivers between 15 and 20-years-old accounted for 6.4% (thirteen point two  million) of total drivers on the road.”(Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics). Teens in Georgia have specific rules in driving they have to follow.  

“

•  Starting at age 15, a teen can apply for a learner’s permit or “Class CP License,” which requires passing an exam. 
• Intermediate License. To get an intermediate or “Class D” license, a teen must have had their learner’s permit for at least 1 year. They also need to be at least 16 years of age and pass a driving test.
  • For the first 6 months, they cannot have any passenger who is not a member of their family.
  • For the next 6 months, they can have non-family members as passengers, but no more than 1 non-family passenger 
  • After that, they can have up to 3 non-family passengers who are under twenty one.

“(Accidents with Teen Drivers: Everything You Need to Know). Before getting your license in Georgia you must take a drivers ed class or complete Joshua's Law as well as taking an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program class. These precautions are to help teens and sixteen year old drivers to stay safe on the roads. These rules are also used to help insurance. “Teens are more likely to engage in daredevil behavior such as racing, speeding or following too closely”(Accidents with Teen Drivers: Everything You Need to Know).  Insurance is used to protect your car incase of acidents but teens speeding can cause it to go up. 

Insurance is used  to protect your car but will go up whenever there is  an accident. When speeding, your chances of getting pulled over are much much higher. “Car insurance rates can go up more than fifty percent — or eight hundred and thirty nine dollars a year, on average — for those who stay with the same company after causing a minor accident, a NerdWallet analysis of rates nationwide found”(How Much Car Insurance Rates Go Up After an Accident). The only way for your insurance rates to go up is to speed or get in a wreck, and you are hundreds of times more likely to get in a wreck if you are speeding. 

When speeding you can be pulled over and most people think of it just being an inconvenience for the driver  but in reality it can put the officers lives at risk. Most of the time when a driver is pulled over by a squad car that is pulled over on the side of the road. “At 100 mph, the speeder is traveling at 1.66 miles per minute. If it takes that .6 minutes (36 seconds) to start the chase after the speeder went by, the cop will be a mile behind. Leaving out acceleration rates, he needs to close that one mile. If he could achieve chase speed immediately, he would need to be going 105 mph to catch up in 1/5 of an hour (12 minutes). At 120, he would catch up in 1/20th of an hour (3 minutes). But, he will continue to get farther behind until he accelerates to 100 mph. It will likely take 20 seconds to reach 100 mph. That would be like 50 mph for 20 seconds so he would be .277 miles further behind. The acceleration to 120 would take even more time. By the time he achieves maximum overtaking speed (120 mph), he will likely be 1.2 miles behind. It will take 1.66 minutes to catch up.”(Quora). That excerpt is one that I found particularly interesting. I knew that an officer would have to go extremely fast to catch up but going upwards of one hundred and twenty miles per hour is insane. When speeding you put the officer who is in pursuit, the vehicle in question, and the other cars on the road.  

A person's life can be changed in a split second and people willingly take and know that risk whenever they get behind the wheel of a car. Speeding is a problem in today's society and it always has been. Driving is an amazing thing but it also brings about great responsibility.  Speeding is single handley one of the most dangerous things that a driver can do. It can seem so harmless until it is not. When a driver is speeding it can cause for a driver to lose control and not be able to break in time. Speeding can cause thousands of dollars in damages and cost people their lives. Speeding is something that is inevitable and can always be avoided. Speed limits may seem slower than they should be but they once again are in place for safety. Speeding is dangerous and when you do it you willingly put others at risk

• Sawicki, Donald S. “Braking Factors.” Braking Factors, copradar.com/redlight/factors/.

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• Boardwell, Tim. “How Fast Does a Cop Have to Go to Over Take a Speeder Going 100 Mph?” Quora, 1 Jan. 2018, www.quora.com/How-fast-does-a-cop-have-to-go-to-over-take-a-speeder-going-100-mph.
• “Car Emissions and Global Warming.” Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming.
• Fair, David. “Issues Of The Environment: The Impacts Of Increasing Michigan's Speed Limits.” WEMU, 4 May 2016, www.wemu.org/post/issues-environment-impacts-increasing-michigans-speed-limits.
• “Georgia Teen Driving Laws and Accident Statistics.” John Foy & Associates, www.johnfoy.com/georgia-teen-driving-laws-and-accident-statistics/.
• Johnston, Valerie. “Georgia Speed Limits, Laws, and Fines.” YourMechanic Advice, 10 May 2016, www.yourmechanic.com/article/georgia-speed-limits-laws-and-fines-by-valerie-mellema.
• Lowrey, Annie. “American Cars Are Getting Heavier and Heavier. Is That Dangerous?” Slate Magazine, Slate, 27 June 2011, slate.com/business/2011/06/american-cars-are-getting-heavier-and-heavier-is-that-dangerous.html.
• Pulse. “The Dangers of Speeding.” Pulse Protects, 24 Sept. 2014, www.pulseprotects.com/dangers-of-speeding/.
• “Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics & Facts.” Edgarsnyder.com, www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/who-was-injured/teen/teen-driving-statistics.html.
• Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “Know Why Speeding Is Dangerous and Reckless.” Teens in the Driver Seat, 1 Feb. 2018, www.t-driver.com/know-the-risks/junior-high-2/speeding-is-dangerous/.
• Tomorrow, Blue & Green. “How Traffic Accidents Harm the Environment.” Blue and Green Tomorrow, Blue & Green Tomorrow, 16 Aug. 2016, blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/traffic-accidents-harm-environment/.
• zebra, The. “Average Cost of Auto Insurance in Georgia: The Zebra.” Compare Car Insurance Rates and Get Free Quotes | The Zebra, 7 Feb. 2019, www.thezebra.com/georgia-car-insurance/ga-average-cost-of-auto-insurance/.

When I started looking at colleges in middle school I was under the impression that you had to be a business major to succeed at UGA. I believed that the Terry College of Business was my home and I would thrive there but I was wrong. I struggled for years, spent many nights crying, and missed so many opportunities to bond with my peers because I was taking classes that did not interest or make sense to me but it was the status quo in my mind. I finally had a breaking point and emailed my advisor to see what I could do to save my mental health because my GPA was falling and I was drifting away from my friends and he recommended changing my degree to advertising and I’ve never looked back. After careful consideration and reflection on my academic journey, I believe that my passion for advertising, combined with my experiences and aspirations, make me a well-suited candidate for grady.

Grady pre-reqs have played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding of the advertising landscape and my decision to apply. These courses have not only provided me with theoretical knowledge but have also given me the opportunity to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios while being interactive and engaging nature. I have learned how to make connections in our industry and I am working on pursuing internships that will further my learning about the new age of advertising and social media. 

The courses I am particularly excited about include Online Reputation Management, Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research 1, PR Ethics. I believe that delving deeper into creative advertising strategies and consumer behavior will enhance my skills, preparing me to tackle challenges in the dynamic field of advertising. These are classes that I am heavily interested in and feel like they will relate to my job in the future whether it is the CEO of an advertising company or a social media manager. 

What attracts me most to my major is the dynamic nature of advertising itself. The ability to create impactful messages, understand consumer psychology, and adapt to evolving trends keeps me engaged and passionate about pursuing a major in advertising. I am confident that the comprehensive curriculum and distinguished faculty .

In terms of my professional goals, I aim to excel in strategic advertising and eventually lead innovative campaigns. I believe that Grady's industry connections, internship opportunities, and practical approach to learning will provide me with the skills and exposure needed to achieve these goals.

My investment in time includes active participation in advertising-related clubs and volunteer work for events that demand creativity and strategic thinking. These experiences have honed my skills and provided me with a practical insight into the demands of the advertising industry. I have attended multiple digital media, advertising, and sales conferences all over the nation with my favorite being LinkUnite in Florida last december which was women’s performance marketing and advertising mastermind conference with emphasis on professional women's development and made connections with many powerful women who I still reach out to as mentors in the industry, 

What sets me apart as a candidate is my ability to merge analytical thinking with creative expression. I thrive in finding unique solutions to challenges, bringing a fresh perspective to the advertising landscape. I am actively reading new companies, media strategies, and sales tactics. I am currently working at Cutco who is partnered with Vector Media to learn more about the industry and also in the process of beginning work with their social media and advertising teams. I am confident that my combination of theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and passion for innovation positions me as a standout candidate.

In conclusion, my journey into advertising was sparked by the realization of its power to influence perceptions and drive change. Witnessing impactful campaigns inspired me to delve into the field, and I am eager to contribute my creativity and strategic mindset to the world of advertising.

Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the prospect of joining and contributing to the vibrant community at Grady College