Teen Drunk Drivers Can Earn $1,000 Scholarship in Colorado by Admitting Mistakes
Nerdy high schooler “McLovin” and two irresponsible cops do drunken doughnuts in the teen comedy Superbad
Hey kids, crack open another cold one: a fun-loving Colorado defense attorney is offering $1,000 to teen drunk drivers who are getting ready to stumble off to college!
Ok, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The defense attorney in question isn’t really trying to drum up more business for himself; he’s actually attempting to discourage the dangerous behavior which results in injuries every 90 seconds. Christian Schwarner, a private lawyer in Colorado Springs, is offering a $1,000 scholarship this spring to high school students who admit to their habit of driving buzzed or drunk by writing an essay about their experiences. The applicants will then need to research and familiarize themselves with drunk driving statistics as a way of taking “concrete steps” toward making sure the behavior does not continue.
“I was trying to find what might be something that is a light-bulb moment for these kids,” Schwaner told the Denver Post. “Self-admission and self-education are very powerful tools.”
Teen drunk drivers in Colorado can help pay for college if they’re willing to take “concrete steps” Photo: West Midlands Police
Colorado State Trooper Nate Reid said he’s all in favor of reducing the number of teen drunk drivers out on the highway, but he’s not sure if Schwarner’s program – dubbed the First Step Scholarship – goes far enough.
“I think it’s a good deed he’s doing,” said Trooper Reid. “I hope the program works and these young people can admit their faults and then educate their peers. I just think there needs to [be] more to it.”
Reid thinks applicants should also have to sit on a Mothers Against Drunk Driving panel, or even create some binding contract that guarantees they will take all the steps necessary, and not just the first one.
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