It was a beautiful, sunny summer day when Sierra Terry set out to drive herself back to college three hours away from home. But despite the pleasant weather, her mom, Kirstie Terry, was still concerned. It was the 19-year-old’s first time driving alone from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, back to school in Joplin. To ease her worries just a little, Kirstie asked her daughter to text when she arrived safely.

“About 45 minutes later, Sierra pulled over and called me because the check engine light came on. I was so worried,” Terry says. “She was in a rural area with farms and farms and more farms. We had her drive to a truck stop.”

By the time she arrived at the truck stop, her parents remembered Sierra’s 2015 Chevrolet Cruze had OnStar.*

Sierra was scared because she never had to use OnStar in the two years since getting her vehicle. But she told the OnStar Advisor what was happening.

“First, they asked her if she was safe. Then they told her there was nothing to worry about, which made me feel better,” Terry says, crying in relief. “It was a small thing, but it was also a big thing. It made her independent. It made her grow up a teeny tiny bit. It was hand-holding but not from her parents. It made a huge difference for us.”

While the issue with Sierra’s car wasn’t significant, it did relieve her parents stress to know someone was there to help her.

“Joplin was hit by a tornado a few years ago, and the college campus was impacted. All these safety things concern you,” Terry says. “But by having OnStar in the car, she can get home and get what she needs 24/7. She can get police, ambulance, roadside service from that car. It’s a huge deal.”

While Sierra was able to use OnStar in her vehicle, there’s now a way to bring key OnStar safety services everywhere your kids go, even if they don’t have their own vehicle on campus. The OnStar Guardian™ app* can be shared with up to seven friends and family members.* It provides access to services like Mobile Crash Response and Roadside Assistance* in case the unexpected happens while they’re in a ride-share or friend’s vehicle. They can also contact an OnStar Advisor right from the app if they need help while out on a walk or a run. Plus, Guardian app Members can share their location* with one another, providing even more reassurance when you or your kids are out and about.

See how the Guardian app helped college freshman Evan Rhode after he and his friends were in a crash on campus hours from home.