A pair of local students are statewide winners in the "It Can Wait" texting and driving op-ed essays, co-sponsored by the News Tribune.
Natalie Schaefer, an 11th-grader at Jefferson City High School, wrote the winning entry in the high school division. She won $500 in the local contest and $1,000 for winning at the state level.
In the middle school division, the winning entry came from Addison Ganey, an eighth-grader at Trinity Lutheran School. She won $250 for the local contest and $500 for her statewide win.
The contest addressed the issue of texting and driving. It posed the question: "How can you convince drivers, friends and family to stop this dangerous habit?"
Mayor Carrie Tergin said she was "thrilled" both of the local winners went on to win at the state level. She had already scheduled them to attend the Dec. 4 City Council meeting, where they will read their essays.
"'It Can Wait' is such an important message and especially when hearing it from the youth, who are directly impacted," Tergin said. "When I read their stories, it just really got to me. I was just really touched by the stories and thought we all need to hear this."
State law bans texting and driving for those 21 and younger, but Tergin wants to see the law changed to apply to all drivers.
Addison was surprised to win at the state level and hopes her essay reminds people not to text and drive.
"I was just really happy, and I was honored that I was able to represent Jefferson City and now the state of Missouri on this topic," she said.
She has always enjoyed writing and is growing up in a family of writers.
"My grandpa writes a lot for a lot of different things," Ganey said. "He's written three books and written for some papers in Missouri. And lot of people in my family are English teachers, so that helped a lot."
The grandfather she refers to is Terry Ganey, who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the 1990s when working for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Schaefer said she was thankful for the win and would use the money for college. She said she was glad to have her story published so people could see the personal effects of texting and driving.
Her essay was about her cousin, Brandon Higgins, of Holts Summit, who died in a vehicle accident.
The News Tribune published both essays Nov. 8, after they were chosen as local winners.