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Bianca Hayles
335
Bold Points1x
Finalist1x
Winner![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/haylesbiancapr84c6f651466d46b39e439f8c52bd6850.webp)
Bianca Hayles
335
Bold Points1x
Finalist1x
WinnerBio
Bianca is an incoming first-year Juris Doctor student and a 2024 New York Legal Education Opportunity Program Fellow (NY LEO Fellow) at the New York State Judicial Institute. She aims to use her legal education to advocate for marginalized individuals in her community who lack access to adequate and affordable legal representation. Bianca is particularly interested in appellate litigation, civil rights, and criminal defense advocacy, influenced by her personal, academic, and professional background.
Bianca earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), with a minor in Philosophy. She recently completed a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University. With over three years of experience in the legal industry, including work in an AmLaw firm and the public interest sector, Bianca has engaged in wrongful convictions, post-conviction relief, and parole and appellate advocacy cases. She is also a Legally BLK Fund Fellow, a program that supports aspiring Black women in pursuing legal education and careers.
Education
Pace University - Westchester Campus
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Political Science and Government
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Law
Career
Dream career field:
Law Practice
Dream career goals:
Become a civil rights or criminal law attorney and a non-profit owner.
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. Scholarship
WinnerQuestion 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.