2023 Winner – Jackson Aldaya
I want to thank Mr. Fisher and the New York Malpractice and Injury Law Firm for this scholarship. This award allows me to take time off from my second part-time job in food service to focus on my TA position at the university, where I enjoy mentoring and guiding young engineers.
CLICK HERE to read Jackson’s award winning essay
2022 Winner – Bryanna Walker
“Creating a revolutionary new app that decreases drunk driving and saves lives, we are proud to announce Bryanna Walker as the 2022 Sam’s Legacy Scholarship recipient,” announced John Fisher, founder of the New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm powered by The New York Injury & Malpractice Law Firm, P.C.
Mr. Fisher, a medical malpractice lawyer, funds the national scholarship for college students or college-bound high school senior applicants who are invited to submit their ideas for new legislation and programs to reduce drunk driving. The Sam’s Legacy Scholarship was created to honor U.S. Naval Ensign Samuel Cleghorn.
“Our family was privileged to know Sam and watch him grow into a young man whose bright future was cut short because of a drunk driver in October 2020. This scholarship is a part of our remembering Sam. It is also an essential part of our community program to affect positive change by helping to end driving under the influence and save the countless lives lost to this epidemic.”
The 2022 Sam’s Legacy winner took a creative leap by going one step beyond providing an essay to reduce drunk driving by developing a working prototype app.
Ms. Walker is a senior Computer Science and Fine Arts major, attending Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. She was inspired to design the app after she lost her grandfather to alcohol abuse four years ago.
“I used my gaming technology skills learned in a recent college classroom to create a prototype app that takes the guesswork out of deciding whether to drive or call for help by following a set of user-friendly screen choices and options,” said Ms. Walker.
CLICK HERE to see the app prototype
Walker plans on entering the workforce next spring as a gaming developer and said, “I’ve never won anything in my entire life, so I’m thrilled and thankful. I have to drive from home to school every day, so this scholarship will go directly to gas money!” Congratulations, Bryanna Walker, for submitting your creative solution to help curb driving under the influence and save lives.