Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks Scholarship

The first time I truly thought about justice, I was sitting in a courtroom, completely alone. I was sixteen, and I had to explain to a judge why I couldn’t live at home anymore. There were no lawyers beside me, no advocates to speak on my behalf. Just me, trying to convince a room full of adults that I mattered. That moment didn’t feel like justice. It felt like survival. And that is where my understanding of justice began. To me, justice is not just about laws or courts. It is about being seen, heard, and protected, even when you are young, poor, or forgotten. Justice means standing in the gap when no one else will. It is not perfect fairness, because the world isn’t fair. But justice is the promise that we will try anyway, that we will build systems that fight for the people who are usually left behind. I have seen what happens when that promise is broken. I was raised in a home shaped by loss, addiction, and untreated mental illness. My biological parents were not part of my life. My guardian father passed away when I was young, and my guardian mother never finished high school. When things at home became unsafe, I had to remove myself before I turned eighteen. I didn’t have a legal guidebook. I just had my voice, and I used it. That experience changed me. It gave me grit, yes, but it also gave me purpose. I plan to major in Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and afterward, attend law school. My long-term goal is to work in legal and policy reform, especially around juvenile justice, mental health advocacy, and access to education. I want to fight for a society where kids like me don’t have to represent themselves in court. Where no one falls through the cracks because their story is too complicated or their background too messy. Justice, to me, is not a concept. It is a mission. It is personal. I write about these experiences, too. I have already published two books before the age of eighteen, because I believe storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for change. Stories teach empathy, and empathy makes justice possible. I see myself contributing to a more just society by becoming the person I once needed. A voice for the unheard. A challenger of broken systems. A builder of better ones. Not just someone who learns the law, but someone who uses it to protect, heal, and empower. Justice starts when someone decides they will not let silence win. I’ve already made that decision.