In April of 2005, Laura Yard received the news that no parent wants to hear. Her only daughter, 19-year-old Nicole Spink, had been killed in a one-car accident. State police investigations indicated that wet roads and unsafe speed were factors in the crash. Nicole had never taken driver’s education. “My daughter was not a good driver. She was so busy and involved in different activities between work and friends that she thought she didn’t have time for driver’s ed,” said Yard. She was so busy “she was trying to be in two places at the same time” when the accident occurred that evening.
Yard established the Nicole Marie Spink Driver Safety Scholarship in 2005 to honor the memory of her daughter. This year Yard and her husband, Jim, were able to award three scholarships in Nicole’s name, to students in programs throughout the county. To be considered for the scholarship, students were asked to submit a completed application, a letter of recommendation from their guidance counselor and an essay detailing why they would like to receive the award.
Esperanza Morgan-Barrot, an 18-year-old entering her senior year at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton had not had many opportunities to learn to drive before taking driver’s education. “I want to know that I am as good a driver as I can be and driver’s ed will help me do that,” she said in her essay for the scholarship. Yard chose Morgan-Barrot as one of the recipients of the scholarship, along with Shane Gabriel, 16, from Phoenix, who attended the BOCES driver’s ed program in Central Square. A third scholarship will be awarded during the school year.
After presenting the scholarship to Morgan-Barrot, Yard spoke to the students in the Fulton program about her daughter, Nicole. As she passed around a photo of Nicole she told the students that this course is the “best choice you can possibly make in your life.” She further encouraged the students to “be responsible and be safe.”
Oswego County BOCES has one of the largest driver education programs in the area, with more than 300 students in the summer program. The course runs for six weeks and consists of 24 hours of road experience and 24 hours of instruction in the classroom. During the coming school year, BOCES will also operate driver’s education programs in several sites. For information about the program, contact Oswego County BOCES at 963-4313.
If you would like to support the Nicole Marie Spink Driver Safety Scholarship fund, contributions may be sent to Oswego County BOCES, c/o Kelly Wood, treasurer, 179 County route 64, Mexico, New York 13114.
Laura Yard, left, presents the Nicole Marie Spink Driver Safety Scholarship certificate to Esperanza Morgan-Barrot. Also pictured is driving instructor Brian Dodge.