Congratulations to Julia McAlonis for being chosen as the winner of our 2024 Done with Distracted Driving Scholarship! We enjoyed reading your essay and getting to know you!
An overwhelming number of serious and fatal vehicular accidents are caused by distracted driving. Despite knowing better, drivers continue to reach for their phones while driving. Today, there are applications on our phones that can detect this and warn drivers that using the app while driving is dangerous. There are even some apps that will not allow cell phones to operate until the vehicle has come to a stop. Why is it that people feel an obligation to respond to notifications, text messages or phone calls while driving, even after knowing the risks?
As personal injury lawyers, Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers are passionate about decreasing the number of distracted driving accidents. We see firsthand the effects that these accidents have on individuals and oftentimes how life-changing injuries sustained can be. In addition to working with those who have been in car accidents, this cause for awareness is very near and dear to our hearts as well. The firm’s founder, Jon Ostroff, is acquainted with the founder of End Distracted Driving, an organization whose mission is to save lives from distracted driving through advocacy, education, and action. It is our hope that we can all work together to make a significant impact on this generation’s outlook on distracted driving.
This is why Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers has created the Done with Distracted Driving Scholarship. We are looking to hear from students about realistic ways we can work to put a stop to this dangerous behavior and habit.
- What do you think could be done to get your peers to stop driving while distracted?
- What types of technology could be created to prevent people from using their devices while driving?
- Of the apps and technology that currently exists, which do you think are the most effective and what can be done to get more drivers to use them?
- Why do you think individuals have such a difficult time stepping away from their phones for some time and how could we change this mindset?
We are now accepting applications for this scholarship until May 31, 2025. We are looking forward to hearing from you! Please review the sections below for more information on eligibility and the application process.
Eligibility
- Employees of Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households as such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition
- Applicants must be currently enrolled in or about to attend an accredited community college, undergraduate, or graduate program within the United States
- Applicants must have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher
Application
- A complete application for this scholarship must include:
- Your contact information, with name, age, current grade, cell number and email address
- A current academic transcript (clearly showing your cumulative GPA)
- A 750 – 1,000 word essay discussing ways in which we can put a stop to distracted driving and how we can encourage drivers to make smarter decisions
Application Deadline and Instructions:
To be eligible for this scholarship, candidates must submit their full application below by May 31, 2025. Any applications sent after this date will not be considered. The recipient of this $1,000 scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline.
