The Manitoba Driver, from Manitoba Public Insurance About 270 words Dragos Mutascu, a graduate of Winnipeg’s Grant Park High School, outscored and outdrove 29 other finalists last spring to win the 2007 overall title in the Driver Ed Challenge. Then 16, Mutascu was no stranger to challenges. Four years earlier his family had moved to Canada from Resita, a small town near the border of Romania and Serbia. “My parents wanted a better life so they began to search where they would go. Other people from our town had come to Winnipeg, so we had heard of this city before.” Despite the adjustment to a new country, he graduated from high school at a younger age than most students – and with excellent driving skills. The annual Driver Ed Challenge, sponsored by Manitoba Public Insurance, is open to high school students at least 15 ½ years old who hold a learner’s or intermediate licence and are currently enrolled or have graduated from the Driver Education program. To compete for the grand prize, Mutascu and the other finalists had to demonstrate their knowledge and skill during two earlier stages, an online quiz test and regional in-car evaluation. “Some of my school friends were entering, so I thought I would give it a try too.” “I found everything exciting. I really liked the final championship day. The most challenging part was the police course we had to drive.” Mutascu used his scholarship to attend Conestoga College near Kitchener, Ontario, where he is currently study computer engineering. “This will allow me to continue my dreams…. My parents are very proud and happy.” --30-- © 2008 Manitoba Public Insurance |