Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. Scholarship

Question 1: I'm going to start law school in August 2024. I applied to 18 schools, including New York University School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, Cardozo Law School, Brooklyn Law School, St. John's Law School, CUNY Law School, Albany Law School, New York Law School, Hofstra Law School, Rutgers Law School, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, New England Law | Boston, Touro Law Center, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Vermont Law School, Western New England University School of Law, Suffolk Law School, and Quinnipiac University School of Law. After receiving eight acceptances and four waitlist offers, I paid a seat deposit and will start at Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in late summer. Question 2: Outside formal education, I enhance my learning and intellectual growth by staying curious about the world and its people, which involves volunteering in my community and engaging in oral storytelling. Previously, I volunteered at the Fortune Society, an organization dedicated to assisting formerly incarcerated individuals in their transition back into society. During this time, I worked closely with young people. Their real-life experiences and needs exceeded what I absorbed from textbooks and scholarly articles. Through listening to their stories, as a future attorney, I learned to connect with people, genuinely comprehend their needs, and work towards solutions that align with their necessities rather than imposing my own beliefs. As an advocate, I must support the desires of my clients vigorously. Specifically, these experiences have ignited a passion within me to drive initiatives in the legal field that benefit youth in underserved communities and ensure their voices are heard and acted upon. Question 3: Taking care of my autistic older brother has been a challenging journey. One of the biggest challenges I encountered was dealing with the public busing services the New York Department of Education provided. My brother and other disabled students used to ride to their schools on public buses without air-conditioning. The buses would become unbearably hot, often exceeding 100 ºF during the late spring and summer months. This heat caused my brother to have nosebleeds, and his peers would frequently have seizures. Despite this, none of their elected representatives have taken action to help them. As my brother's protector, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Advocacy can bring about significant change. I contacted the state office responsible for student transportation and advocated for my brother and his bus mates, pushing for air-conditioning installation. It took numerous phone calls and letters over several months before the Department of Education finally agreed to my requests. While I was relieved that my actions would benefit my brother and his peers, I wanted to formalize the air-conditioning policy change for all special needs students in New York City while interning for New York State Assembly Member Aravella Simotas. During my time in her office, I worked with her team to research and draft legislation requiring air-conditioning on New York City public school buses during warm weather. The following spring, I was thrilled to see the mandate we had worked so hard for come into effect. I am thankful for Assembly Member Aravella Simotas and her team's support and collaboration. They shared my vision and worked tirelessly to make it a reality. From this experience, I learned that change is powerful but not easy and requires determination not to give up in the face of obstacles. Question 4: If I had the resources to initiate a philanthropic project, it would be my passion project: The Hidden Youth Campaign (THY Campaign), a social media movement I established. Its main goal is to create awareness surrounding the often-overlooked group of disabled youth in the Juvenile Justice System and address societal misconceptions about them. Our primary objective is to break down the Disability to Prison Pipeline, the School to Prison Pipeline, and other related institutional barriers. This Campaign is built on three main pillars: Teach. Highlight. Yearn. It urges individuals to educate themselves and others about disabled youth involved in the justice system, shed light on the unique injustices they face within their communities, and strive for societal, political, and economic changes to help them realize their full potential. As the sister of a disabled brother and an advocate for educational equity as someone who grew up in under-resourced school districts, I intuitively support disabled youth, especially those impacted by the justice system. All youth deserve an equitable, stimulating, and comprehensive educational experience that enables them to succeed.