By Camryn Dilla / Staff Writer

A single distraction behind the wheel can change a life forever, an unfortunate reality that hits especially hard for one man sharing his story at Missouri Valley College. 

The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 13 in the Malcolm Center Bacon Room and will feature speaker Mark Vrba, who lost his wife, Jenny Buls-Vrba, after she was struck and killed by a distracted driver.

Jenny was someone those closest to her say you never forget.

“Jenny was fierce, loyal, honest, trustworthy and above all, loving,” Vrba said. “She never gave up…she had too much grit and stubbornness to quit.” 

To Vrba, she was everything.

“She was, is and always will be my one and only true love, my soulmate,” he said. “We did everything together.”

But Jenny wasn’t just important to him. She was a guiding presence for her family and friends, always the one people turned to for advice. To her niece and nephews, she was more than an aunt, she was like a second mom.

Now, Vrba is sharing her story so others can understand how quickly life can change.

“I want people to understand that it can happen to anyone,” he said. “When you get in a car, you are responsible for your life and everyone else on the road.”

Vrba admits speaking about this is not something he ever wanted to do.

“This is the last thing I want to be doing,” he said. “But it’s how I honor Jenny… this is how I continue her legacy.” 

Since the accident, he said his life has changed in every way possible.

“People think you lose someone once, but in reality you lose them every single day,” Vrba said. “Grief is love that has nowhere else to go.”

That message is exactly why Missouri Valley Director of Student Activities James Rowlett helped organize the event.

“It’s so common that people almost stop noticing how dangerous it is,” Rowlett said. 

Rowlett said distracted driving, texting, calling, scrolling, or even losing focus is one of the leading causes of preventable crashes, especially among college students. 

Having once been guilty of it himself, Rowlett said his perspective has changed. 

“Whatever message or notification I receive can wait,” he said. “It’s not worth risking my life or the lives of others.” 

The event comes at an important time, as students prepare to leave campus for summer break and spend more time on the road.

Vrba hopes his story will stay with them long after they leave.

“Remember Jenny,” he said. “Don’t be the one that causes someone else’s tragic death because you were looking at your phone.

He believes real change starts with this generation.

“Distracted driving is this generation’s drunk driving.” Vrba said. “But this is also the generation that can change it.”

For Vrba, even reaching one person would mean everything.

“If this story impacts one student and changes the way they drive, then it’s more than worth it,” he said.

Rowlett said the goal is the same, to make sure students don’t just hear the message, but carry it with them every time they get behind the wheel.

“This event will be educational, emotional and impactful,” Vrba said. “It will make you think twice about reaching for your phone.”