The time has come for New Mexico high school, college, and university students to submit their application for the annual Parnall Law Firm, scholarship program. Parnall Law offers a scholarship each year to interested students as part of our commitment to the Albuquerque community. The deadline to apply for the 2021 scholarship is approaching. The scholarship is available to high school students (upon graduation) or college students throughout New Mexico who are looking to attend an institution of higher learning.
Interested students have until December 15, 2021, to submit an application online. The three scholarship winners will be announced in Spring 2022.
Distracted Driving Facts
Our firm wanted to highlight the dangers of distracted driving in this year’s scholarship contest. Here are some quick facts about the dangers of distracted driving:
- Talking and texting while driving cause more than 300,000 injuries per year nationwide
- Drunk driving accidents and distracted driving accidents cause nearly half of all traffic deaths
- Distracted driving accidents involving cell phones cause 2,600 deaths every year
Scholarship Essay Topic
Students interested in the scholarship should draft an essay in which they create a Distracted Driving Family Plan. This plan should be used to help applicants and family members avoid occurrences of distracted driving, helping to keep themselves and others on the road safe. An applicant’s Distracted Driving Family Plan should include:
- An explanation of what distracted driving is and common distracted driving behaviors
- An account of a time that you experienced distracted driving
- Suggestions to encourage family members to avoid distracted driving
- The applicant’s thoughts on whether cell phones are destructive or beneficial (or both) for teenage drivers
- Any examples of how distracted driving has impacted the applicant or a loved one
- Studies, statistics, news reports, and other data to back up the above points
Scholarship Prizes
Parnall Law will select three winners as part of the 2021 scholarship program. They will receive:
- 1st place – $2,500
- 2nd place – $1,500
- 3rd place – $1,000
Scholarship Rules
Here are the rules for anyone wishing to apply for the scholarship:
- The scholarship is open to any high school, college, or university student in New Mexico
- Applicants must be U.S. residents
- Entries must be submitted online by December 15, 2021.
- All entries will be judged by members of Parnall Law Firm, and they will be ranked based on originality and the caliber of the applicant’s response to the essay prompt
- All decisions are final
- Winners will be announced in the Spring of 2022
We look forward to reading all the applications we receive this year. Whether or not you’re one of this year’s scholarship winners, make sure to keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and your attention where it belongs when driving. Contact our office for more information about this year’s scholarship or our legal services.
