Marks & Harrison Launches 2026 Driver Safety Scholarship Contest with $4,200 in Awards

Marks & Harrison is now accepting essays and videos for its third annual Driver Safety Scholarship Contest, which will award a total of $4,200 in college scholarship funds to the top three entries. The law firm, with a history in Virginia and Washington DC that stretches back more than 100 years, is dedicated to promoting safety throughout the communities it serves. The contest's goal is to raise awareness of distracted driving—one of the nation's leading causes of traffic accidents—while supporting students in their pursuit of a college education.

The first-place winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship, with $1,200 for second place and $1,000 for third place. The contest is open to graduating high school seniors in Virginia and to rising college freshmen enrolled in a college or university in Virginia or Washington, DC, including students planning to attend two- or four-year schools. To enter, students must submit an original essay of at least 1,000 words or a video essay of between 5-6 minutes in length before the deadline of 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2026. Only one entry per student is allowed.

The essay or video must address the question: "How can we educate our community about the dangers of distracted driving, and what are some practical ways we can drastically reduce distracted driving-related accidents?" The tone of the video or essay can be serious or light-hearted as long as it is original, thoughtful, and well-researched. A panel will choose the winning entries based on their originality and creativity. On June 2, 2026, Marks & Harrison will announce the winners and publish their winning entries on the firm's website and social media sites.

This initiative matters because it directly addresses a critical public safety issue while investing in the next generation of leaders. Distracted driving remains a persistent problem on American roads, contributing to thousands of preventable accidents each year. By engaging students in creative problem-solving around this issue, the contest generates fresh perspectives and potential solutions that could influence community safety programs. The scholarship component provides tangible support for education, making the contest both a public awareness campaign and an investment in student futures.

The contest's structure encourages practical thinking about community education methods, potentially yielding ideas that could be implemented in schools, driver education programs, or public awareness campaigns. With entries published on the firm's website and social media sites, the winning ideas gain visibility that could extend their impact beyond the contest itself. This approach combines financial support for students with meaningful engagement on a pressing safety issue, creating a model for how organizations can address social problems while supporting educational advancement.