There have been numerous campaigns touting the dangers of drinking and driving in the past two decades. Even so, drunk driving accidents still endanger hundreds of people on an annual basis.
The “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship offered through Shelly Leeke Law Firm, LLC, encourages today’s college students to think critically about what strategies might minimize the number of drunk driving accidents seen in their communities. This year, the scholarship’s $2,500 award goes to Charlotte Boulware.
Boulware is a sophomore history major at Clemson University, paying her own tuition fees. Her examination of drunk driving addresses concerns on a teen and adult level while offering solutions targeting the social pressures that tend to result in accidents. Our South Carolina personal injury lawyers are proud to offer her some additional financial support.
Teen Drinking and Social Pressure
Boulware approaches the question of why drunk driving accidents remain so common from two perspectives. First, she addresses the pressures that young people face to drink before getting behind the wheel of a car. She cites peer pressure and efforts to look “cool” as some of the most pressing forces causing teen drunk driving collisions.
In acknowledging the peer pressure that pushes teenagers not only to drink but to move from location to location while drinking, Boulware highlights a possible solution that may curb this dangerous behavior.
She recommends making it more difficult for young people to access fake IDs and laws that might see negligent parents or older siblings face harsher consequences for allowing underage drivers access to alcohol. She also encourages awareness campaigns that might inform underage drinkers about the increased risks associated with their behavior.
Reprimanding Irresponsible Adult Behavior
Boulware also recommends that adults who drink and drive should face harsher consequences for their negligence, particularly if they are repeat offenders.
She notes that in her home state of South Carolina, drunk drivers can face serious fines, imprisonment for up to 30 days, and the temporary loss of their license.
She recommends increasing the severity of those consequences, suggesting fines of upwards of $5,000 and a certain amount of community service, varying based on the severity of a defendant’s alleged offense. She suspects that “more intense and threatening” consequences may make drivers think twice about getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Getting to Know Charlotte Boulware
Charlotte Boulware attends Clemson University and is paying for her own college education while balancing the demands of her history degree. When she’s not hitting the books, she’s participating in events held by Dance Marathon, an organization that aims to raise money for Prisma Children’s Hospital.
Boulware’s participation in the most recent Dance Marathon event helped the organization secure over $107,000 in donations for the institution’s Oncology and Hematology Children’s Units.
Boulware found herself drawn to the “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship in light of her native South Carolina’s persistent problems with drunk drivers. She hopes that her perspectives can help prevent avoidable accidents and keep families from being torn apart.
Taking Inspiration From Close to Home
When asked about her sources of inspiration in life, Boulware looks to her father.
“He is the most hardworking person I have ever met and pushes me to do the same,” she says. “Not only does he inspire me, but he is also always there to talk to and helps me with whatever I may need. He leads with kindness but also dedication and helps me strive to be a better person.”
What to Expect From Charlotte Boulware in the Future
Boulware is following in her father’s footsteps and looks forward to pursuing a Ph.D. in history like he did. She also hopes that she’ll have opportunities to assist with historical site rehabilitation and preservation.
About the “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship
Shelly Leeke Law Firm, LLC, began offering its “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship in hopes that today’s college students would begin to think critically about the dangers that come with getting behind the wheel drunk.
These students stand to inherit the problems of today, and their thoughts about drinking and driving may make it easier for them to curb the number of accidents that leave victims injured and families grieving.
Applicants can write original essays between 500 and 1,000 words, going into detail about what strategies they might recommend in an effort to curb drunk driving in their communities. Students who want to follow in Boulware’s footsteps can keep an eye on the scholarship’s terms and conditions page to learn more about next year’s qualifying criteria.
Shelly Leeke Law Firm, LLC, Applauds Charlotte Boulware
It takes courage to look today’s drinking and driving problem in the eye and honestly discuss its solutions. The “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship challenges college students to think critically about the environments they’re entering into and what steps they can take to make their communities safer.
Shelley Leeke Law Firm, LLC, is proud to offer Charlotte Boulware $2,500 in financial support in celebration of the critical thought she put into the strategies she proposed to curb drinking and driving accidents. The firm hopes that the financial support will make it easier for Boulware to pursue her degree in history at Clemson University.
