RICHMOND, VA, June 03, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — The Marks & Harrison personal injury law firm is pleased to announce the three winners of its third annual Driver Safety Scholarship Contest, who received a combined $4,200 in college scholarship funds for submitting their winning entries.
As a law firm with a history in Virginia and now in Washington DC stretching more than 100 years, Marks & Harrison is dedicated to promoting safety in the communities it serves.
Through its annual scholarship essay contest, the law firm strives 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.
This year’s contest was open to graduating high school seniors in Virginia and 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 submitted an original essay of at least 1,000 words or a video essay of 5-6 minutes in length addressing 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?”
After reviewing many thoughtful and inspiring essays, Marks & Harrison is thrilled to recognize the following winners of the 2026 scholarship competition:
First Place ($2,000) — Henock Ansmare
Henock is a student at Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Va., with a 4.59 grade point average (GPA). In his essay, he discusses how his mother had nearly been hit by a distracted driver while walking on a street in Ethiopia in the late 1990s.
“The driver who hit her was probably not a bad person,” Henock writes. “He was probably just a guy who, like the rest of us, had been getting away with not looking up for years and figured he’d keep getting away with it.”
Henock goes on to provide ideas for how to address the issue of distracted driving, including encouraging “people from the local community who have actually been on either side of one of these crashes” to share their experiences with young drivers.
Second Place ($1,200) — Marianna Drapas
Marianna is a student at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Va., with a 4.45 GPA, who plans to attend the University of Virginia next year to study Commerce on a pre-law track. In her essay, Marianna shares the experience of losing a relative who died in a car crash after trying to reply to a text message while driving.
“I know that unsafe driving habits could prevent me from reaching my goals,” Marianna writes. “No message, call, playlist, or social media post is worth risking a life.”
Third Place ($1,000) — Rachel Warren
Rachel is a student at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Va., with a 3.99 GPA. In her essay, Rachel relays how she nearly lost a classmate to distracted driving and provides several suggestions on how to raise greater awareness of this risk among teens.
“Watching someone close to me almost die because of distracted driving puts things into perspective. Life is very fragile. At the end of the day, no text, notification, or video is worth risking life. The message can wait. Social media can wait. What matters the most is arriving safely to those I love,” Rachel writes.
About Marks & Harrison
Since 1911, the personal injury attorneys of Marks & Harrison have protected the rights of accident and injury victims and their families. The law firm offers clients the legal experience and resources of more than 31 personal injury attorneys and more than 100 staff members, research attorneys, and in-house investigators. The firm serves clients throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, with its main office located at 1500 Forest Avenue, Room 100, Richmond, Va., 23229. To reach Marks & Harrison, call (804) 286-2770 or submit its online contact form.
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