Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by John H. Fisher, P.C.

Sam’s Legacy — Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship: Quick Reference

Description
**Purpose:** The Sam’s Legacy — Fighting to End Drunk Driving Scholarship funds student-driven ideas to reduce drunk driving through education, law, and enforcement.
**Essay prompt:** Applicants submit a 500–750-word essay describing innovative and effective educational, legislative, and enforcement strategies that would reduce drunk driving. The scholarship is intended to promote practical, evidence-informed proposals that help drivers understand the risks of impaired driving and make safer choices.

Key takeaways:
- Annual essay-based scholarship focused on preventing drunk driving.
- Essay length requirement: 500–750 words.
- Emphasis on educational, legislative, and enforcement strategies.
- Submissions should be practical and evidence-informed.

Eligibility
**Who may apply:** U.S. legal residents in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia who are current high school seniors, vocational students, college students, or graduate students enrolled in a vocational program or a two- to four-year post-secondary institution.
**Exclusions and academic standard:** Employees of John Fisher, their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling, spouse), and household members of those employees are ineligible. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Key takeaways:
- Open to U.S. residents in 50 states + DC enrolled in secondary or post-secondary programs.
- Minimum GPA requirement: 3.0.
- Employees of the sponsoring firm and their families/household members are not eligible.
- Applies to high school through graduate-level students.

Application Requirements
**Documents required:** Applicants must submit the 500–750-word essay, a professional resume detailing academic and professional experience, and a school transcript. First-year college students, graduate students, or recent transfers may provide an unofficial transcript from their current school plus the most recent official transcript from a prior school; high school applicants may submit proof of college acceptance.
**Integrity checks and geographic preference:** Essays will be screened for AI-generated content; any entry found to contain AI writing will be disqualified. Preference is given to students who are from or attend secondary school in the sponsoring state.

Key takeaways:
- Required: essay, resume, and transcript (official/unofficial rules vary by status).
- AI-generated writing is prohibited and will result in disqualification.
- Geographic preference may be applied to applicants connected to the sponsoring state.
- Follow transcript submission rules based on academic status.

Award Value
**Amount and frequency:** The scholarship awards a single $1,000 prize annually to the applicant whose essay best meets the competition criteria. The prize is intended to support the recipient’s continued education.

Key takeaways:
- Single award: $1,000 per year.
- Awarded annually to one recipient.
- Funds are intended for educational support.

Application Timeline
**Decision timing:** The winner is selected in the month following the scholarship deadline. Applicants should consult the official scholarship page for the current year’s deadline and submission window.
**Notification and next steps:** After selection, the recipient will be contacted according to the contact details provided in the application; instructions for disbursing the award will follow.

Key takeaways:
- Winner chosen the month after the application deadline.
- Check the official scholarship listing for current deadlines.
- Recipient will be notified with award disbursement instructions.

History of the Award
**Origin and intent:** The scholarship was established by John Fisher of The New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm, P.C. in memory of Ensign Samuel Cleghorn, a U.S. Naval officer who died on October 3, 2020, after being struck by a drunk driver. Fisher created the scholarship to honor Sam’s character and to contribute to efforts that prevent impaired-driving fatalities.
**Broader context:** The award also responds to the larger public-safety crisis of more than 10,000 annual deaths attributed to drunk driving, encouraging students to propose practical solutions that reduce those numbers.

Key takeaways:
- Founded by John Fisher in memory of Ensign Samuel Cleghorn (d. Oct 3, 2020).
- Created to promote anti-drunk-driving education, legislation, and enforcement.
- Aligns with efforts to reduce the roughly 10,000+ annual drunk-driving fatalities.