Our first selectee Annee Grayson, inspired our organization to name our scholarship after her late brother Gabriel “Gabe” Jenks, who passed away due to fentanyl poisoning. We honor his memory through our commitment to helping those affected by substance use.
Award Details
The DRS Scholarship will award $1,000 to the winner. This will be distributed per your school’s financial aid policies.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for our scholarship, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a full-time college or university student (individuals taking 12 credits – about four classes each semester).
- Be at least 18 years old.
Scholarship Details
The DRS Scholarship is an essay submission format. Individuals submit an essay in adherence to the guidelines below. The DRS Team will review these essays, and the scholarship will be awarded to the best essay that meets all submission guidelines. This scholarship will be awarded annually with a different essay topic each year.
2026 Scholarship Essay Contest Details
This year’s Scholarship essay will focus on personal experience and encourage individuals to share their stories about how drug and alcohol use has affected their lives. It will also call on applicants to share their viewpoints on why substance use has become so prevalent in the United States and what can be done to improve it.
Essay Topic:
Explain in as much detail as you are comfortable with how drug and alcohol use has affected your life. Substance use is far-reaching, so this is not solely for individuals who have struggled with drugs and alcohol personally. You may also explain how the substance use of those close to you has impacted your life. Conclude your essay with your personal viewpoints on how drug and alcohol use has become so prevalent in the United States, and share what you think should be done to improve it.
Essay Guidelines:
- It must be an original essay.
- Keep essay length between 1000-1500 words.
- The essay must include personal experience, individual viewpoints on our nation’s drug epidemic, and one’s own ideas on how to make things better.
Judgment Criteria:
- Originality
- Creativity
- Relevancy
- Completeness
- Overall Quality
Submission Guidelines:
- Please send all essays to Scholarship@addicted.org along with your name and the College/University you attend.
- Essays must be sent from your College / University email address.
- Submission Deadline – July 1st 2026, awarded to the winner in August for the Fall Semester.
Note on the use of AI:
We want to hear real stories and get unique viewpoints on this topic. Therefore, using AI to write any part of your essay will automatically disqualify you from consideration for this scholarship. We run all submissions through AI detection software to ensure a person writes the winning essay.
Scholarship Winners
Scholarship Selectee 2025
Becky Marie Paquette of Southern New Hampshire University
Becky Mary Paquette is a junior at SNHU studying digital photography and communication. She hopes to one day pursue a career in photojournalism. Growing up with an alcoholic mother has fueled her passion for speaking out against alcohol abuse and addiction. Though her mother passed away many years ago, she hopes that her article can inspire someone struggling with addiction to reach out for help.
Read Becky’s Submission
Scholarship Selectee 2024
Angel Clark of University of Houston
Angel Clark is from New Orleans, LA but she currently resides in the Houston, Texas area and will be starting at the University of Houston this fall. She will be studying to earn her doctorate in Professional Leadership with a specialization in special populations. She decided to earn this degree due to her profound interest in advocating and providing resources for students with disabilities, at-risk and minority students. Her goal is to enhance the quality of education and overall life for these individuals; and to aid in shaping a society where they all feel they belong regardless of our abilities and backgrounds.
Read Angel’s Submission
Inaugural Scholarship Selectee 2023
Annee Grayson of Arizona State University
Annee Grayson is a PhD student at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on long-term educational and career outcomes for youth involved in the justice system, especially those with emotional and behavioral disorders. She lives in Arizona with her husband, foster child, and cats. Annee is inspired by her faith and family, and strives to honor the memory of her brother, whom she recently lost to fentanyl poisoning.
