HOPE Miami Scholars Class of 2020, 2021, 2022

MIAMILAW UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW

PUBLIC INTEREST RESOURCE CENTER

PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAM

“The Miami Scholars Public Interest Program represents dedicated and extraordinary students at Miami Law. Their passion for justice, intellectual curiosity and motivation drives them to effectuate change in agencies and communities near and far.� ~Marni Lennon, Esq.

Assistant Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono Director, HOPE Public Interest Resource Center Lecturer in Law

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

MIAMI SCHOLARS PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAM Established in 1997, the Miami Scholars Public Interest Program brings exceptional students with a passion for public service and social justice to the University of Miami School of Law. Miami Scholars are selected based on their outstanding academic credentials and demonstrated commitment to public service and advocacy.

The Miami Scholars Public Interest Program offers its students exclusive opportunities for legal advocacy training and advising from the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center team of attorneys, including individualized curriculum advising and career planning assistance. Miami Scholars receive mentoring by upper-division Scholars and public interest and pro bono attorneys.

Miami Scholars are awarded an annual scholarship and are provided with a stipend for public interest work that is performed during their first or second year summer. Tuition awards are automatically renewed if the scholar remains in good standing.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022

The Miami Scholars Public Interest Program connected me with a network of students and professionals who share a passion for public interest and social justice work. I know I will always have a support system with my colleagues and mentors through Miami Scholars.

~Nejla Calvo, JD ’15

Legal Services of Greater Miami, Miami, FL

I was immediately welcomed by this small community and presented with unique viewpoints and opportunities. The Miami Scholars program gave me an outlet to apply in-class lessons to benefit the local community. I was able to do far more hands-on legal work than I would have otherwise been able to do had I not been invited to join this cohort.

~Bennett Blachar, JD ’16

Arnstein & Lehr

As an alumna with a legal career dedicated to public service, I am excited to watch the continued expansion of the Miami Scholars Program. It now affords even more students the opportunity to find their passion, do what they love, and serve our community with vigor and spirit.

~Fara Gold, JD ’03

United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, Washington, DC

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020

The Miami Scholars Program gave me the ability to take internships in disability law and attend a dual degree program in my field of interest, Public Health. My reasons for my lifelong support of the Miami Scholars Program continue to multiply. Law school can be a challenging place for those who envision themselves as civil servants. The support of the other Miami Scholars and Dean Lennon kept me focused on my ultimate goals and helped me pinpoint one-of-a-kind opportunities that I would not have had otherwise.

~Kathy Walker, JD ’13

SOAR/Medical-Legal Partnership Attorney Pisgah Legal Services, Asheville, NC

Being part of the Miami Scholars Program is an incredible opportunity for any law student aspiring to a career in public interest. As a Miami Scholar, I had unparalleled access to oneon-one mentoring, connections to internships and jobs across the country, and a like-minded cohort of individuals with the same goals and values. I would not have achieved the success I have today without this program.

~Abraham Rubert-Schewel, JD ’14

Lord & Schewel PLLC, New York, NY

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020

CAITLYN BURNITIS

Caitlyn Burnitis graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in May 2017 with a B.S. in Telecommunications and a minor in Non-Profit Organizational Leadership. While in college, she volunteered with Student Legal Services and served as Vice President of Gators Against Human Trafficking. She also served as an intern with Southern Legal Counsel. As a 1L at Miami Law, Caitlyn founded the Miami Law Alliance Against Human Trafficking. She also took part in the ACLU of Florida’s “Say Yes to Second Chances” campaign, which brought restoration of voting rights to the ballot. During her 1L summer, she worked as a legal intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida in the Criminal Division. During the fall of her 2L year, Caitlyn took part in the Miami Law Human Rights Clinic. She also worked on a pro bono project with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, working to educate non-profits about the services the EEOC provides to human trafficking survivors. She volunteered with Farmworker Justice in the spring of 2019. During her 2L summer, Caitlyn served as a HOPE Fellow at Amara Legal Center in Washington, DC, which provides free legal services to sex trafficking survivors and people whose rights were violated while taking part in the commercial sex industry. As a 3L, she is serving as the President of Miami Law Alliance Against Human Trafficking, Vice President of the ACLU-UM Chapter, Fundraising Chair of the Public Interest Leadership Board, Social Media Chair of the University of Miami Race and Social Justice Law Review, and is a member of the Society of Bar & Gavel.

STEPHEN DAVIS

Stephen Davis graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in May 2014 with a B.S. in Telecommunication and a B.A. in Political Science. He was a Public Leadership Graduate of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and served as supervisor of student government elections and chair of the Recreational Sports Board. From 2008-2011, he held multiple positions with the Office of U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch, attending daily briefings, conducting policy research and analysis, and engaging in constituent relations. Following graduation and a stint as a consultant in the Washington, DC area, Stephen joined Hillary for America as an Advance Site Lead, traveling nationally to plan and carry out public press events for the campaign. He later worked across the United States and Europe to produce public speaking tours, film premieres, and campaign launch events for a range of public interest clients. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, he traveled with former President Bill Clinton to survey the impacted islands and deliver aid packages. Stephen spent the first half of his 1L summer at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida as a judicial intern for the Honorable John J. O'Sullivan. During the second half of the summer, he served as a legal fellow at the United States Senate for Senator Doug Jones from Alabama, where he conducted research and drafted memoranda on the then-pending confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. During his 2L summer, Stephen was a law clerk at Fragomen Worldwide, the largest global immigration law firm. Stephen was selected for the Florida Supreme Court Internship Program for Distinguished Law Students and spent the fall of his 3L year supporting the Court in Tallahassee.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020

AMELIA DAYNES

Amelia Daynes graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2015 with a B.A. in Economics. As a 1L at Miami Law, Amelia participated in an Alternative Spring Break program in the Florida Keys, providing legal services to community members affected by Hurricane Irma, and helped reestablish e a student chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. During her 1L summer, she was an executive intern at the Office of the Miami-Dade County Public Defender, where she conducted research and policy analysis. During the fall of her 2L year, Amelia was an extern with the Florida Justice Institute, where she worked on prisoners’ rights litigation. During spring of her 2L year, Amelia was an intern in the Immigration Clinic, where she helped defend a client from removal via litigation in immigration court and the federal courts. As a 2L, Amelia also served as the president of NLG Miami Law, Community Service Committee Chair of OUTLaw, a research assistant for Dean James, and a participant in Miami Law’s Legal Writing Course at Dade Correctional Institution. During her 2L summer, Amelia interned with Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, where she represented indigent clients facing criminal charges.

During her 3L year, Amelia is a fellow in the Immigration Clinic and is participating in the Litigation Skills Externship Program as a Certified Legal Intern. She is also serving as the president of OUTLaw and as an officer for the National Lawyers Guild.

MAIA DOMBEY

Maia Dombey graduated from New York University in December 2016 with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science. While at NYU, she was president of an NYU advocacy organization focused on Pro-Israel activism and the relationship between the United States and Israel. She also served as an intern with AIPAC to further advocate in that field. In 2016, Maia worked with U.N. Watch, a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the UN Human Rights Council. She presented a statement on behalf of this organization to the Human Rights Council calling for action on various human rights violations. She then worked with the Anti-Defamation League’s International Affairs department until law school. As a 2L, Maia served as Vice President of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking and was an intern for the Miami Law Human Rights Clinic, where she worked on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada and wrote a submission to the Canadian National Inquiry regarding the Right to Truth. While in the clinic, she also worked on domestic violence advocate Jessica Lenahan’s case and submitted an amicus brief to the African Court of Human and People’s Rights regarding the discrimination and harassment of women in Africa as perpetrated through vagrancy and other petty offence laws. As a 3L, Maia is serving as Editor-In-Chief of the International & Comparative Law Review. She worked at Podhurst Orseck, P.A. during her 1L and 2L summers, focusing primarily on serving plaintiffs in aviation litigation.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020

HAWWI EDAO

Hawwi Edao graduated from the University of Miami in May 2017 with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in Business Law and Health Sector Management & Policy. She received a number of academic scholarships, was a member of the President’s List and the Dean’s List, and was named as a Civic Scholar through the Butler Center for Leadership & Service. She served as a resident assistant on campus, a student assistant with the HOPE Public Interest Resource Center at the School of Law, and a leader in Student Orientation and the College Council. During her junior year, she took part in a Mass Incarceration and Immigration Detention course, which led to her involvement with a comprehensive research project and national exhibit that explored the effects of mass incarceration throughout the history of the United States.

As a 1L at Miami Law, Hawwi was appointed as Class Governor by the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Law Student Division and was inducted into the Society of Bar & Gavel. During her 1L summer, she interned at the Florida Justice Institute, a civil rights firm that primarily focuses on prisoners’ rights. As a 2L, she served as a student intern for the Children and Youth Law Clinic, a representative of the Honor Council, Class Governor, and a member of the Black Law Students Association. During her 2L summer, she was a summer associate and diversity fellow with Foley & Lardner. As a 3L, Hawwi is serving as the Managing Editor of the International & Comparative Law Review and continuing her role on the Honor Council.

WIFREDO FERNANDEZ

Wifredo Fernandez graduated from The University of Pennsylvania in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in International Relations. He was co-founder of the University Council of The Cuban American National Foundation and a member of the varsity football team. Following graduation, he joined Teach for America in Washington, DC and, in 2011, received an M.A. in Teaching from American University. In 2012, Wifredo co-founded The LAB Miami, a central hub for startups in the area and also joined Miami-Dade College as founding director of the Center for Research and Transformational Entrepreneurship. In 2015, he became the associate director of the Office of Innovation & Economic Development at Florida International University. He serves on the board of OurKids of Miami-Dade and Monroe, an agency that coordinates services for children in the dependency system, an advisory board member of City of Coral Gables Parks and Recreation, and co-founded the Teach for America Startup Program. During his 1L summer at Miami Law, he served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Robert N. Scola, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. As a 2L, he served in the Children & Youth Law Clinic, as a legal fellow at the UM Launch Pad and as a Hunton & Williams Fellow in the Center for Ethics and Public Service. During the spring of his 2L year, he participated in a Public Policy Fellowship at Twitter in San Francisco, where he managed the state and local policy portfolio, working on issues of privacy law, content moderation, election integrity, workforce development and corporate philanthropy. During his 2L summer, he worked as an associate at Akerman LLP.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020

GIANNA FINA

Gianna Fina graduated from the University of Florida in May 2017 with a B.A. in Criminology and Political Science. She was a Florida Medallion Scholar and a member of the Pre-Legal Honor Society and the Criminology & Law Honor Society.

Prior to entering the University of Florida, Gianna served as a judicial intern with the Honorable Beatrice Butchko in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida in Miami. She shadowed the judge during all phases of litigation and assisted with case files and correspondence. During the summers of 2015 and 2016, she worked as an intern with the Office of the State Attorney in Miami-Dade County. She took part in witness interviews and depositions, attended trials, and participated in visits to the medical examiner’s office, crime scenes, and the forensics lab. She also worked as a campaign intern for a local election during the summer of 2014. During her 1L summer, Gianna served as an intern with Dade Legal Aid, assisting with a variety of family law matters. As a 2L, she participated in Miami Law’s Innocence Clinic and the Litigation Skills Program. During her 2L summer, she served as a Certified Legal Intern with the Tampa State Attorney’s Office in the Juvenile Division.

TAYLOR FOX

Taylor Fox graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University in May 2016 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Gender Studies.

She participated in the Danish Institute of Study Abroad and received various scholarships to fund her public service internship, thesis research, and study abroad program. While at Tulane, Taylor worked as an intern with the Domestic Violence Department of New Orleans City Hall, where she collected crime data and created a report used to reduce gun violence.

During her final year of college, Taylor was a research assistant with the Modern Slavery Research Project. She conducted, transcribed, and coded interviews with homeless youth. Data from the project was used to make recommendations to Covenant House and in a White House briefing on homeless youth. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, she interned with the ACLU of Florida, where she conducted legal research for prospective litigation and gathered evidence of 6th Amendment violations. She worked as a judicial intern for Federal Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan during the fall of her 2L year, and served as an extern with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in the Career Criminals Division during the spring. As a 3L, she is serving as Vice President of the Honor Council and participating in the Litigation Skills Program.

DAMIAN GONZALEZ

Damian Gonzalez graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in May 2016 with a B.S. in Journalism and a B.A. in Political Science. He was in the Savant Leadership Honorary Society, a J. Wayne Reitz Scholar, and named to the UF Hall of Fame. He held various leadership positions in Pride Student Union before he was elected as co-president in 2015, where he was responsible for supporting, educating, and highlighting LGBTQ+ issues both on campus and in the surrounding community. He managed the largest student-run LGBTQ+ Awareness Month in the nation and organized the first statewide LGBTQ+ conference at UF. Damian also served as president of the Alachua Migrant Education Program, an organization that matches UF students

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020 with undocumented migrant families to foster literacy among their children. He also interned with Southern Legal Counsel, a public interest law firm that focuses on the ideals of equal justice through systemic reform. Following graduation, Damian worked as an English Language Specialist at Palm Beach State College. During his 1L summer at Miami Law, Damian interned with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC in the Educational Opportunities Section, where he drafted numerous pleadings regarding desegregation of public schools and violations of antidiscrimination statutes. As a 2L, he participated in the Human Rights Clinic. He is a member of the Race and Social Justice Law Review, the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board, and the Society of Bar & Gavel. During his 2L summer, he served as an intern with the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program in New York City. During the fall of his 3L year, he is working as an extern in Washington, DC with the Criminal Division of the DOJ in the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

HANNAH GORDON

Hannah Gordon graduated from Colgate University in May 2012 with a B.A. in Peace & Conflict Studies and Caribbean Studies. While at Colgate, she studied abroad in Jamaica and tutored English Language Learners at a refugee center in Utica, NY. Following graduation, she spent a year with the AmeriCorps Community Technology Project in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she ran a computer lab for adult learners. Many of her students were immigrants and refugees. While in Minnesota, she also mentored low-income children in a program called Project for Pride in Living. In 2013, Hannah returned to Colgate to work as a program assistant with the department of Africana and Latin American Studies. Beginning in March 2015, she worked as an English teacher in Honduras, where she taught middle school during the day and adult English classes in the evenings. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Hannah worked as a legal intern at Catholic Legal Services in Miami, where she assisted pro se asylum seekers at the Immigration Court Helpdesk. As a 2L, she participated in the Immigration Clinic, the Dade Correctional Institution Legal Writing Program, and the University of Miami Law Review. She spent her 2L summer as an intern at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative. During her 3L year, Hannah is a fellow in the Immigration Clinic, continues to teach legal writing in Dade Correctional Institution, and is the editor-in-chief of the University of Miami Law Review.

BRITTANY HERBERT

Brittany Herbert graduated summa cum laude from The State University of New York at Buffalo in May 2017 with a B.A. in Social Sciences-Interdisciplinary and African-American Studies, with a concentration in Legal Studies. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, on the Dean’s List, and an active member of the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta. She completed an honors thesis titled The State-Sponsored Houseto-Prison Pipeline: A Criminological Analysis of Public Housing and Its Contribution to the Prison Industrial Complex. During the spring of 2015, Brittany worked with SKIP of New York, an agency that provides respite services for children with disabilities. She later served as an afterschool programs volunteer with Seneca Street Community Development Corporation, a non-profit agency that provides services to one of Buffalo’s underserved communities, and worked with at-risk youth as a volunteer with West Side Community Services. During the fall of 2016, she completed

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020 a federal judicial internship with the United States District Court for the Western District of New York. Beginning in May 2015, she worked as a legal assistant for a law firm in Buffalo. During her 1L summer and 2L fall at Miami Law, Brittany interned with the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office in the felony division, where she drafted pretrial motions, interviewed clients held in pretrial detention, assisted at calendar, and performed legal research. She participated in Miami Law’s Environmental Justice Clinic during her 2L year and returned to the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office in the Juvenile Division during her 2L summer.

JULIE HOCHSZTEIN

Julie Hochsztein graduated with honors from the University of Florida in May 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science, Economics, and Sociology and a minor in History. She was awarded the Bob Graham Center for Public Service Certificate in Public Leadership.

Julie received her Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2011. While at UNC, she conducted research on citizens’ academies and prepared her findings for a thesis entitled Citizens’ Academies: A Tool for Increasing Civil Engagement. In 2010, she began working with the N.C. Department of State Treasurer and later became a policy analyst with the Retirement Services Division. She then joined the N.C. Department of Public Instruction as a data analyst, where she managed Unique Identification Systems for schools and coordinated data collection for the Office of Civil Rights. In 2013, Julie became a research analyst with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners and then worked as an independent contractor conducting data analysis for governmental and private entities. She also served as a precinct official with the Wake County Board of Elections. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Julie served as an intern in the City of Miami City Attorney's Office, assisting with litigation research and legislation before the City Commission. She also served on the HOPE Day of Service committee. As a 2L, she served as the Municipal Equity Fellow for the Environmental Justice Clinic and a legal intern with the Human Rights Clinic, for which she was a part of the Clinical Legal Education Association’s Outstanding Clinic Team Award. During her 2L summer, she served as a HOPE Fellow with the Voting Rights Team at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, NC. During the fall of her 3L year, Julie is serving as an extern with FairVote in Washington, DC.

ALLI KATZEN

Alli Katzen graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2015 with a B.A. in Political Science. While at Michigan, she served as a tutor with the Detroit Initiative/Latino Family Services. She also volunteered with Project Outreach at the Washtenaw County Jail Women’s Unit, where she led educational programming for inmates to prepare them for successful reentry into society.

Following graduation, Alli became a paralegal at a firm in Washington, DC that specializes in food and drug law. She also volunteered with Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources, where she co-facilitated a weekly court-mandated program for men on probation for domestic violence charges. While in law school, Alli has worked as an LCOMM Dean's Fellow and is the Senior Writing Editor for the University of Miami Law Review. During her 1L summer, Alli worked as a law clerk with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia in the trial division. As a 2L, she participated in the Innocence Clinic and interned with the Honorable Beth Bloom in the United States District Court for the Southern District of

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020 Florida. Alli also received the American Board of Trial Advocates Civility Matters Award in the Litigation Skills Program. During her 2L summer, she was a summer associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where she worked in the litigation department. She also participates in Miami Law's Legal Writing Program at Dade Correctional Institution.

THEODORE O’BRIEN

Theodore O’Brien graduated from the University of Oregon in May 2011 with a B.A. in Political Science. While in college, Theo joined a fledgling conference provider and investment association as its first employee and after graduating he joined full time to run operations and marketing. As Managing Director, he helped grow the business from a start-up to one of Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. In 2013, he earned his securities licenses and launched the investment division of the Family Office Club. During his 1L summer at Miami Law, Theo interned with U.S. Magistrate Judge John O’Sullivan and in the felonies division of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. During the fall of his 2L year, he joined the Investor Rights Clinic where he helped represent under-served investors in securities arbitration claims against their brokers. During his 2L summer, he worked as a Summer Associate at Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn, and Dial. During the fall of his 3L year, he returned to the Investor Rights Clinic as a Fellow. Theo is a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board, an Executive Editor of the University of Miami Business Law Review, and a 3L SBA Senator.

NICHOLAS SCONZO

Nicholas Sconzo graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami in May 2017 with a B.A. in Criminology, Psychology, and Spanish. He wrote his honors thesis on the underlying causes of gang violence in Miami. He was a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society and the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society in Criminal Justice. During the fall of 2015, Nicholas served as a legal intern with the Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, assisting with projects in the Insurance Fraud, Gang Violence, and Media Departments. While at the State Attorney’s Office, he also participated in volunteer events for Kristi House, a non-profit dedicated to healing and eradicating sexual abuse. During the fall of 2016, he was an intern with Catholic Charities Legal Services, where he translated and drafted documents and performed research for immigration cases. That year, he also worked as an intern with a private firm in Palm Beach Gardens. During his 1L summer at Miami Law, Nicholas served as an intern in the felony crimes unit of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. As a 2L, he participated in Miami Law's Innocence Clinic and in Miami Law's Litigation Skills Program. During his 2L summer, he worked for the Department of Justice in Washington DC. During his 3L year, Nicholas is working as a Research Assistant for Professor Craig Trocino.

MADELINE SEALES

Madeline Seales graduated from Amherst College in 2009 with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, concentrating in Political Science, Sociology, and Black Studies. Prior to law school, she was an actress in Los Angeles and an Immigration Case Manager at the International Rescue Committee and BronxWorks in New York, NY. At Miami Law, Maddie has served as the Vice-President of the National Lawyers Guild–Miami Law

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2020 chapter, the Community Service Co-Chair of the Black Law Students Association, and an intern in the Environmental Justice Clinic. She has participated in several alternative breaks at the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem, Catholic Legal Services, and Florida Rural Legal Services. As a 3L, she is serving as President of the Public Interest Leadership Board and a Senator in the Student Bar Association. She also participates in Miami Law’s Legal Writing Program at Dade Correctional Institution.

During her 1L summer, Maddie was an intern at the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender, in the Appellate Division and the Criminal Courts Branch. During her 2L summer, she returned to the Los Angeles Office of the Public Defender as HOPE Fellow, spending her summer in Compton, where worked on several serious felony cases including three murder cases and a third-strike assault case. During her 3L year, she is serving as a Certified Legal Intern at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and a research assistant to Professor Tamara Lave.

JUSTIN WEATHERWAX

Justin Weatherwax graduated from Baylor University in May 2016 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. He was part of the University Scholars program and wrote a thesis entitled The Environmental Impacts and Social Trends of the Recreational Fishing of Sharks on the Texas Coast of the Gulf of Mexico. As a sophomore, he volunteered to assist with research on the consumption of plastics by fish. During the summer of 2015, Justin volunteered with Global Vision International in Seychelles, conducting research on coral recruitment for the local government. While there, he also taught environmental conservation lessons, assisted in organizing events for school children, and volunteered at an orphanage. Following graduation, he became a member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a group that works to establish a carbon fee in order to reduce greenhouse emissions and encourage the increased use of sustainable energy. Beginning in 2016, he worked for a land management company. As a 1L at Miami Law, Justin assisted with a research project for Miami Waterkeeper in an effort to increase beach access to the public. During his 1L summer, he worked with the Florida Department of Transportation on eminent domain and land use legal issues. As a 2L, Justin participated in the Environmental Justice Clinic, where he primarily worked on a toxic tort, class action lawsuit on behalf of the West Grove community. During his 2L summer, Justin worked on land acquisition litigation as a law clerk with the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, DC. During the fall of his 3L year, Justin returned to DC to work for Oceana, a non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation and advocacy.

When I was looking at law schools, I knew I needed to find a school as strongly devoted to public interest as I was. Not only did I find that here at Miami Law, I found a network of people who are always willing to support each other and help lift each other up.

~Caitlyn Burnitis, Class of 2020

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021

KELLY BECK

Kelly Beck graduated from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in May 2017 with a B.S. in Political Science and Psychology. She was on the Dean’s List and a member of the Pre-Law Club. Through the organization Growth International Volunteer Excursions (GIVE), she raised funds for international education programs and traveled to Thailand and Laos to build infrastructure and teach English. Following graduation, Kelly joined Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation as an intern, working primarily in the areas of domestic violence and family law. In August 2017, she became the Medical-Legal Partnership Coordinator for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago as part of the AmeriCorps VISTA program. She focused on domestic violence cases and social security cases, as well as matters involving seniors, veterans, and disabled low-income clients. She worked to detect patterns of need in order to advocate for improved health policies and regulations.

During her 1L summer, Kelly worked as a law clerk at the Office of the Cook County Public in Chicago, IL, representing abused and neglected children. As a 2L, Kelly is participating in the Children & Youth Law Clinic.

CHRISTINA FERREIRO

Christina Ferreiro graduated from Florida State University in May 2018 with a B.S. in Political Science and Sociology. She was a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and the College of Social Sciences Leadership Council. She served as a facilitator for Body Project, a workshop for students struggling with healthy body image. Beginning in 2015, she became involved with Camp Kesem, a student-run national non-profit that provides a camping experience to children who have a parent diagnosed with cancer. She served as a camp counselor, was in charge of the Relay for Life team, and served as Fundraising Chair. While at FSU, Christina also worked for a local law firm whose clients included individuals with lung cancer who sued tobacco companies.

During the summer of 2016, Christina interned with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, where she worked with survivors of domestic violence. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Christina served as an intern with ACLU of Florida in Miami, where she worked on LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights and prison conditions. As a 2L, she is participating in the Environmental Justice Clinic.

BRITTANY FINNEGAN

Brittany Finnegan graduated cum laude from Boston University in January 2017 with a B.S. in Mass Communication and a minor in Journalism. She was a member of the Dean’s List and worked as a TV reporter and online editor on campus. While in college, Brittany volunteered with Service for Sight, an organization in Boston that works with the Perkins School for the Blind. She also held various communications and press internships. Following graduation, she taught English to underserved children in Cartagena, Colombia through the Emerging Voices Organization. During the summer of 2017, she served as a Community Development Volunteer with Voluns Organization in Valencia, Spain, where she assisted with sourcing food from grocery stores and restaurants for people in need. In May of 2018, Brittany participated in a service trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where she continued her work teaching English to

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 underserved children. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, she served as a judicial intern with the Honorable Judge Robert Scola in Miami. As a 2L, she is participating in the Investor Rights Clinic.

BRITTANY FRIZZELLE

Brittany Frizzelle graduated from Howard University in May 2015 with a B.S. in Political Science and completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. While at Howard, she was a member of the Dean’s List, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Pre-Law Society, and the marching band. She also served as a tutor with DC Reads, conducting reading workshops for middle school students and parents. In 2015, Brittany joined Teach for America and became an elementary school teacher in eastern North Carolina. In addition to her role as an instructor in two Title I schools, she also oversaw tutoring and mentoring programs to assist students outside the classroom. This included a program addressing the educational and social issues faced by pre-teen and teenaged girls. As a 1L at Miami Law, Brittany participated in Alternative Break Programs with the Miami Public Defender’s Office, Guardian ad Litem, and the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, NC. She served as 1L representative for the National Lawyers Guild and BLSA. As a 2L, she is participating in the Children and Youth Law Clinic and is serving as president of NLG and Community Service Chair/Southern Region Liaison for BLSA. During her 1L summer, she served as a legal intern with the Coalition for the Homeless Law Project in Chicago.

BEATRIZ (BEA) GARCIA

Beatriz (Bea) Garcia graduated from The George Washington University in December 2017 with a B.A. in International Affairs, and a concentration in Conflict & Conflict Resolution.

She served as a tutor for student-athletes, was a member of the Dean's List and Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and participated in a study abroad program in Australia, where she volunteered at a refugee center. During her time in DC, Bea worked as a Cuba Program Intern with Latin America Working Group, an organization that connects activists across the United States to help them amplify their voices in the nation's capital. She then worked as a Human Rights Intern with Peace Brigades International, an international NGO that promotes non-violence and protection of human rights. Prior to law school she continued to volunteer with the refugee community in El Paso, Texas. After graduation she joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender as a legal intern where she assisted with trials. During the summer after her 1L year at Miami Law, Bea served as an Immigration Legal Intern at Ayuda in Washington, DC During her 2L year, she is participating in International Moot Court and serving on the board of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021

MACKENZIE GARRITY

Mackenzie Garrity graduated from Dartmouth College in June 2016 with a B.A. in Government. While at Dartmouth, she participated in Varsity Women’s Rowing, was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and served as a tutor. During the spring of 2015, she worked as an Environment, Energy, Science, and Technology Intern with the Economics Section of the U.S. State Department in Brussels, Belgium. She managed the writing and editing of correspondence on energy and environmental issues, represented the government at conferences and hearings, and tracked pending international sanction cases at the European Court of Justice.

Beginning in 2016, Mackenzie worked as a paralegal with Holland & Knight in Boston.

She assisted in several pro bono matters, including an amicus brief advocating for nondiscriminatory police stops, and was awarded a 2017 Pro Bono All Star Award by Holland & Knight. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Mackenzie served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Jennifer Choe-Groves at the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York City. As a 2L, she is participating in the Innocence Clinic and competing on the International Moot Court team.

KATARINA (KATY) GOMEZ

Katarina (Katy) Gomez graduated from Florida State University in April 2016 with a degree in Political Science. She was a member of the Dean’s List, Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and Lambda Alpha Epsilon, the Professional Criminal Justice Association. During her junior year, she spent a semester abroad in Spain. She also participated in an alternative break program with the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta, Georgia, where she assisted with their Refugee Resettlement program. During the summer of 2015, Katy interned with the Law Office of Sui Chung, a boutique immigration law firm in Miami and returned to the firm to work as a Legal Assistant after graduation. Katy also served as an English Teaching Fellow with the Ministry of Education in Colombia. During her 1L year at Miami Law, Katy participated in Americans for Immigrant Justice’s Immigration Legal Screening Clinic and an alternative spring break trip to the Texas Civil Rights Project in Alamo, Texas, where she worked on cases relating to policies that impact border communities. She also volunteered at a Catholic Charities’ respite center, where families were dropped off after being released from detention. During her 1L summer, Katy interned in Texas with Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education (RAICES) in their Family Detention program. She assisted attorneys in providing legal services to asylum seekers detained at Karnes County Residential Center in Karnes City, Texas. As a 2L, she is participating in Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic.

SARA HASTINGS

Sara Hastings graduated from Kent State University in May 2012 with a B.A. in Spanish and in May 2015 with an M.A. in Translation. During the summer of 2014, she served as a student trainee with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Washington, DC, where she interned with the Grants Division of the Office of Citizenship. During the summer of 2015, she volunteered with the Family Detention Pro Bono Project at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. From

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 2011 to 2016, Sara worked as a paralegal with an immigration law firm in Cleveland.

Beginning in 2017, Sara worked in Cleveland as a paralegal with Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, where she supported attorneys in providing legal services to clients living with HIV/AIDS. During her 1L year at Miami Law, Sara participated in an Alternative Spring Break program with the Texas Civil Rights Project in Alamo, Texas, researching how the government’s border wall plans could affect local landowners.

During her 1L summer, Sara worked as a law clerk at Centro de los Derechos del Migrante in Mexico City, where she engaged in legal research and writing for use in litigation, policy campaigns, and know-your-rights presentations for migrant workers.

As a 2L, Sara is participating in Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic.

HANNAH HAYS

Hannah Hays graduated from the Boston College Lynch School of Education with a B.A. in Applied Psychology and Human Development with a focus in Community, Advocacy, and Social Policy, earned her M.A. in Higher Education Policy through a lens of Critical Race Theory and Settler Colonialism in May 2018. She worked with the Urban Outreach Initiatives Office at Boston College for six years, holding leadership roles within the College Bound Preparatory Program, the Community Partnerships Coordinator, and the College Bound Program Coordinator.

She also worked as the Government Relations and Public Policy Fellow with the Mass Mentoring Partnership, where she created the Teen Advocacy Program and advocated for policy changes regarding social-emotional support in schools as a response to high school dropout rates. As a 1L at Miami Law, Hannah served as the OUTLaw 1L Representative, and worked as a Community Equity Lab Research Intern for the Center for Ethics and Public Service. During her 1L summer, Hannah served as an intern for the Community Justice Project in Miami, helping to collaborate with community organizers and grassroots groups to create a more just society through social movement. As a 2L, Hannah is serving as the Program Coordinator for the Battier Foundation Take Charge GUIDE Program, the Vice President of the law school’s National Lawyers Guild Chapter, Activism Chair for OUTLaw, and is participating in the Environmental Justice Clinic.

MEREDITH HOFFMAN

Meredith Hoffman graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English in 2009, and from New York University in 2012 with a M.A. in Journalism, where she focused her reporting on immigration. While in graduate school, she interned at the New York Times, and then worked as a local reporter in New York City for two years, before leaving to freelance in South America on social issues. Upon returning to the U.S., she moved to Austin, Texas, where she developed a beat as an immigration reporter for outlets including VICE, Politico Magazine, and the New York Times. She has particularly focused on Central American asylum seekers, coproducing an independent documentary in Honduras about deported families and writing about family immigrant detention, border enforcement, and the nation’s evolving immigration laws. She has also spent time in Germany, first reporting on young refugees through a fellowship from the International Center for Journalists, and then leading immigration-focused journalism trips for students for the program New York Times Student Journeys. At Miami Law, Meredith served as the 1L representative

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 for the Immigration Students Law Association and the National Lawyers Guild, and has assisted immigration attorneys at Catholic Charities Legal Services. She served on the Legal Advocacy Alternative Breaks planning committee and participated in a spring break trip to McAllen, Texas, where she volunteered with the Texas Civil Rights Project.

During her 1L summer, she served as an intern with the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project in New York City. As a 2L, she is participating in the Immigration Clinic and the STREET Law program, and is serving as President of the Immigration Students Law Association.

TIFFANY HORNBACK

Tiffany Hornback graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Communication & Information Sciences. In May of 2018, she earned her Masters of Communication & Information Sciences from Alabama with a focus on Legal Rhetoric and Political Communication. She was a member of the Dean’s List and the President’s List and was recognized for her participation in American Forensic Association competitions where was named an All-American.

She used this platform to encourage schools to provide underprivileged youth in Alabama access to the tools start speech and debate teams in order to prepare them for college success. She held leadership roles with the National Communication Association, the Alabama Forensics Council Speech and Debate Team, and the Graduate Student Association. While in college, she volunteered with the RISE Center, where she worked with special needs children, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the DAWN Center, a domestic violence and women’s resource center..

From 2013 to 2017, she worked at a law firm assisting with research and case management for civil and class-action tort claims whose clients were victims of the Takata air bag malfunctions. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Tiffany served as an intern with the Air Force’s JAG Corps at Eglin Air Force Base. As a 2L, she is participating in the Health Rights Clinic.

ANJOLY IBRAHIM

Anjoly Ibrahim graduated from the University of Miami in December 2010 with B.A. degrees in International Studies and Political Science. She received her M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in December 2012.

While at Miami, she was on the Dean’s List, a member of student government, and participated in the Summer Institute with the Lebanese American University. She worked as an intern with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, the University of Miami Butler Center, and the YES Institute. In 2011, Anjoly joined the U.S. Department of State. She started as an intern in the Office of Multilateral and Global Affairs and, following graduation, served as an International Relations Officer with the Office of International Religious Freedom, a Recruitment and Outreach Officer with the Bureau of Human Resources, a Watch Officer with the Operations Center, a Staff Assistant to the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, and an Extradition Specialist in the Office of the Legal Adviser. During this time, she moved from assisting with policy papers on the United Nations and LGBT issues to monitoring worldwide developments for the Department and working with foreign and interagency counterparts in handling extradition requests. As a 1L at Miami Law, she took part in an Alternative Spring Break Program with Legal Services of Greater Miami and was a member of the Inns of Court. During

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 her 1L summer, she served as a legal intern in the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami. During her 2L year, she is serving as a JAG intern with the U.S. Coast Guard and a member of the International Moot Court Team.

ISABELLE JANSSEN

Isabelle Janssen graduated from Wake Forest University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science & International Affairs and Spanish. She studied abroad in Cuba and Spain. Isabelle served in leadership roles with Prepare, an organization that addresses sexual assault on campus and advocates for survivors, and No Labels, a political science lobbying group.

She was president/captain of the university’s Club Tennis Team, worked in the Office of Student Engagement, and served as a resident advisor. She volunteered with El Buen Pastor, a local afterschool agency for Spanish-speaking students. During the summer of 2016, she was a Congressional Intern in Washington, DC with the Office of Illinois Congressman Daniel Lipinski. She researched and analyzed transportation policy, attended sessions and briefings for the congressman, and engaged in constituent services. During the summer of 2017, Isabelle served as a Public Policy Intern with the Guatemala Human Rights Commission in Washington, DC. She researched and analyzed Central American public policy and spearheaded a project regarding the Laguna del Tigre region which was set to be presented to Congress. During her 1L year at Miami Law, Isabelle was a member of the International Law Society and Miami Law Women. During her 1L summer, she served as an intern with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Office of the Western Hemisphere, where she worked on trade law and policy. As a 2L, she is taking part in the Human Rights Clinic.

LINDSEY JOHNSON

Lindsey Johnson graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2016 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Social Work.

During this time, Lindsey worked as a resident aide at Dawn Farm, an inpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility. From 2014 to 2015, Lindsey served as an intern with the Washtenaw Prisoner Reentry Program, where she provided information and services to parolees returning to their communities. Following graduation, she worked in human resources at Amazon and as an International Mobility Specialist with Ericsson. She also continued her volunteer work, assisting guests with services at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center. As a 1L at Miami Law, Lindsey participated in an Alternative Spring Break program with The Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, NC. During her 1L summer, she worked as a legal intern for the Capital Habeas Unit of the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Florida. She is working as a legal intern at the Florida Justice Institute during the fall of her 2L year.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021

GIDEON LEVY

Gideon Levy graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in May 2013 with a B.A. in Physics. In 2016, he earned an M.A. in Teaching Secondary Science from Relay: Graduate School of Education in New York. As an undergrad, Gideon was a leader on his nationally ranked wrestling team and a Head Resident through the Office of Residential Life.

He also served as president and co-founder of his school’s first Jewish Fraternity and first Inter-Greek Council. After graduation, he joined Teach for America as a high school science teacher and wrestling coach.

In 2016, he was awarded an Early Career Fellowship from Math for America which provides advanced teacher development for public school STEM educators. During his 1L year at Miami Law, he participated in a variety of pro bono projects and spent his spring break in Durham, NC volunteering with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation.

During his 1L summer, he worked for the City of Miami City Attorney’s Office with the Deputy Attorney of Litigation. He drafted multiple motions each week, attended court frequently, and presented his arguments to attorneys within the Litigation Department.

During his 2L year, Gideon is serving on the executive boards for Miami Law’s Alliance Against Human Trafficking and Cardozo Jewish Legal Society. He is also participating in Miami Law’s Health Rights Clinic.

SARAH LILLY

Sarah Lilly graduated from Ohio University in May 2014 where she majored in Criminology and Political Science and served on the Board of the Center for Student Legal Services. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Communications and Special Projects Coordinator for the LGBT Center on campus and worked with professors to research a variety of issues, including economic incentives for small businesses, biomass fuel production, and diffusion of racial policies across the world. Following graduation, Sarah joined Equal Justice Works, a national non-profit dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice.

There, she helped draft grant proposals relating to expungement, immigration, and veterans issues until 2016, when she took over management of the nation’s largest post-graduate legal fellowship program. She managed over 200 fellows while working with legal services organizations and law students to craft public interest projects that would be funded by private sector sponsors. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Sarah served as an intern with Michigan Legal Help, building online, automationbased tools to help make the legal system more accessible to people who cannot afford a lawyer. During her 2L year, she is participating in the Investor Rights Clinic and serving as a Dean’s Fellow for Essentials of Law School Achievement.

MELISSA LIPNICK

Melissa Lipnick graduated from the University of Miami in May 2017 with a B.S. in Public Health. She was on the Dean’s List and the Provost’s Honor Roll, and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for completing over 250 service hours.

She was Public Health Team Leader and a Translator/Cultural & Language Officer for Engineers Without Borders UMiami. Through this program, she took part in community service projects in Ecuador. While at Miami, she volunteered with the Veteran’s

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 Administration and served as a translator for a fire department in Oaxaca, Mexico.

During the summer of 2016, Melissa served as an Intern for International Services with the American Red Cross. She worked in Armed Forces and Disaster Services, assisting disaster survivors, as well as veterans and active duty military. She continued with the Red Cross during her senior year and participated in volunteer development and outreach to military families. During her final semester, she was an intern with Survivor’s Pathway, an agency that provides services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Following graduation, Melissa joined City Year Miami as a Math Corps Member at Miami Northwestern High School, where she served as a teacher and mentor. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, she served as a legal intern with the Broward County Public Defender’s Office in Ft. Lauderdale. As a 2L, she is serving on the Public Interest Leadership Board and is participating in the Health Rights Clinic and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

SAMUEL LUDINGTON

Samuel Ludington graduated from Northwestern University in June 2009 with a B.A. in Economics/Pre-Med Track. He received the Multicultural Student Affairs Visionary Award, as well as the Highest Order of Excellence Society Award, which was given to five seniors who exemplified exceptional student leadership and service to the university. From 2011 to 2013, Samuel was an AmeriCorps Program Director with Peacemakers Family Center in Miami, an agency that serves those moving from crisis to self-sufficiency. He supervised AmeriCorps members and spearheaded a national affiliate program to replicate the social service model throughout the country. In 2013, he became a research associate with Justice and Security Strategies, Inc., conducting field research and working closely with law enforcement to address crime reduction and proactive policing. That year he also joined Children of Inmates, Inc. as Deputy Director of Program Development and Policy. The agency provides services for children with an incarcerated parent and advocates for stronger policies to strengthen the parent-child bond and mitigate trauma. He was also selected to participate in Leadership Miami, Connect Florida, and the Miami Fellows Program.

During his 1L summer, Sam served as a judicial intern with Judge Kathleen M. Williams of the United States Southern District, as well as a legal clerk for the Ft. Lauderdale office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner. During his 2L year, Sam is participating in the Environmental Justice Clinic and the Honor Council.

DANIELLA PACITTI

Daniella Pacitti graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in August 2017 with B.A. Degrees in Psychology and Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, and minors in Business and Law & Legal Reasoning. She was also a Pre-Law Honors Scholar. During the summers of 2013 and 2015, she interned with Legal Aid Service of Broward County in both the Children’s Unit and the Educational Unit. She focused on issues relating to dependency, delinquency, school closure, kinship, custody, and parental rights. During the summer of 2017, Daniella served as a summer intern in the Domestic Violence Unit of Goodman Ray Solicitors in London, where she assisted with case management and client correspondence. During college, she volunteered with Dallas-based agencies serving abused women and children. For the past several years, she has worked with Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies of Broward

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021 County, helping to reduce infant deaths by providing research and education to pregnant women, parents, and their families in Broward County. During her 1L summer at Miami Law, Daniella served as a law clerk at Foreman & Friedman and also volunteered at Legal Aid Service of Broward County. As a 2L, she is participating in Miami Law’s Children and Youth Law Clinic. She will also continue her participation in Miami Law’s Legal Writing program at Dade Correctional Institution.

OLIVIA PARISE

Olivia Parise graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish.

Olivia has been dedicated to immigrants’ rights since her time volunteering at Caroline House in Bridgeport, CT, assisting women and children in learning English and becoming familiarized with American culture. In 2017, Olivia studied abroad in Cádiz, Spain to learn more about Spanish culture, migration and better her language skills, allowing her to continue working with immigrants by obtaining an internship as an interpreter in the Villanova School of Law Immigration Clinic, where she assisted clients seeking asylum in the United States and translated documents for attorneys and court officials. At Miami Law, Olivia is serving as secretary for the ACLU chapter on campus, treasurer for Alliance Against Human Trafficking, a member of the Public Interest Leadership Board, and a participant in the Legal Writing Program at Dade Correctional Institution.

During her 1L summer, Olivia interned at the ACLU in Miami, performing legal research pertaining to potential impact litigation in the areas of LGBT+ rights, inmates’ rights, and immigrants’ rights.

CHRISTOPHER PENELAS

Christopher Penelas graduated from The George Washington University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in History. In 2015, he was honored with the Sliver Knight Award in the speech category for his efforts in the Junior State of America (JSA) youth political organization. At GWU, he was a Presidential Scholar and a member of the Dean’s List, the Order of Omega Honor Society, and the Alpha Sigma Phi Political Science Honor Society. During the spring of 2016, Christopher served as an English instructor for Latin-American immigrants in Washington, DC. That summer, he was an intern with the Re-Election Campaign of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. He participated in strategy meetings, fundraisers, canvassing, and constituent services. During the fall of 2016, he served as an intern for Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart in his Washington, DC office, where he worked with constituents and assisted with research and writing. During the summer of 2017, Christopher worked on the Francis Suarez for Mayor Campaign in Miami, where he communicated with community members and staffed political events. During his 1L summer at Miami Law, Christopher worked as a Summer Clerk at Podhurst Orseck P.A. During his 2L year, he is volunteering with the Guardian ad Litem Program, where he is serving as a court-appointed advocate for children in the dependency system.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2021

LAURA WILCOXON

Laura Wilcoxon graduated from The University of Kansas with a B.S. in Education in May 2005 and an M.S. in Education in May 2006. Following graduation, she served as an English teacher in the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2011, she received a Master of Library Science from Emporia State University and became a school librarian in the urban Kansas City district. She designed a K-12 library curriculum, authored a school-wide literacy plan, and was awarded "Librarian of the Quarter" for her outreach with electronic resources. Laura also founded a peer tutoring group, coached cheerleading, and served as the stadium announcer for the school's sports teams. In 2017, Laura moved to Colorado Springs, CO, and served as a school librarian in an urban public charter school there. Her community service has included volunteering at soup kitchens, working with homeless individuals, and leading Kansas in a Masonic youth group.

The Miami Scholars Program not only affords me the opportunity to learn the law, but does so in a manner that promotes justice, equity and dignity for all.

~Samuel Ludington, Class of 2021 From day one as a Miami Scholar, I knew I had a community of friends who would keep me going during the hardest times of 1L year. The Miami Scholars program has provided me with immense support, from fellow Scholars and the HOPE Office, and a platform so that I can use my privilege in a way that helps disenfranchised communities whose voices are not being heard.

~Katarina Gomez, Class of 2021

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022

ALEXANDRIA CINNEY

Alexandria Cinney is from Miami and graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Child Study and Human Development. She was a member of the Dean’s List and participated in the Child Development Diversity Program at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad in the spring of 2018.

She was a member of the Child Development Association and the Women’s Club Soccer team. From 2015-2018, she served as a Research Assistant for the Adoption and Development Project, where she gathered and analyzed data collected from adoptive parents and transnational adoptees and investigated and coded interview transcripts for parent and child microaggressions. In 2018, she interned in the Intensive Foster Care Unit at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she reviewed, redacted, and approved case summaries and abuse and neglect reports. Beginning in October of 2018, Alexandra served as a Child Advocate Manager for the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program in Miami, where she managed a caseload of up to forty dependent children, including visitation and information gathering, and advocated for their best interests at judicial hearings alongside the GAL attorneys. Alexandra hopes to use her law degree to continue her commitment to child advocacy.

BIANCA FERREIRA

Bianca Ferreira is originally from Brazil and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in May 2019 with a B.A. in History and Political Science and a minor in Florida Teaching. She was accepted to the University Scholars Program, where she conducted research for the university on behalf of the Department of History. During her senior year, Bianca was accepted to the History Department’s Honors Program, where she was one of a small group of students selected to write and publish an undergraduate thesis in Medieval History.

From 2016-2018, she served as the Student Government Election Representative for her sorority and was a member of the College Democrats. In the spring of 2018, Bianca was a classroom assistant at a middle school in Gainesville, where she tutored students in civics and history, engaged with students to better their understanding of course material, and assisted the class instructor with grading.

The following summer, Bianca interned for a law firm in Fort Lauderdale, where she managed case files, observed client-attorney meetings prior to trial, and facilitated translations from Portuguese to English. She also volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association throughout college. Bianca hopes to use her law degree to pursue a career in immigration advocacy.

MEGAN HENNINGS

Megan Hennings was born in Ireland and raised in North Carolina. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015 with a B.A. in Spanish and Political Science. She was a member of numerous student organizations and received the Chuck Lynch Leadership Award, one of the highest honors awarded to graduating seniors. During her senior year, she served as an intern for the Latin American Coalition and was a delegate at the Harvard World Model UN Conference in South Korea. After graduation, she worked at UNC-

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022 Charlotte in International Programs and New Student Services while also pursuing graduate courses in the Department of Philosophy & Applied Ethics. She volunteered for the Southern Regional Model UN Atlanta conference from 2016-2018 as a Committee Director, Under Secretary-General, and Secretary-General. As the head of the 2018 conference, she dedicated over 500 hours throughout the year to the preparation and implementation of a conference with over 700 participants. In 2017, Megan began serving as the Assistant Director for Development and Communications for the Prescott College Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies in Sonora, Mexico, where she helped raise approximately $1 million, managed external communications, and developed workshops on interpersonal communications, social justice, and cultural immersion. She hopes to use her law degree to address issues of social injustice through legal and educational tools, specifically in the immigration field.

LUCIANA JHON URRUNAGA

Luciana Jhon Urrunaga is from Miami and graduated from Florida International University in May 2017 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in International Relations.

While an undergraduate, she served as a legal assistant, completing applications and conducting research for residency, citizenship, asylum, U-visa, and unlawful presence waiver cases, and as a research assistant, spearheading policy roundtables among U.S. Southern Command high level officials and academics and conducting research on the consequences of PetroCaribe’s potential failure on the Latin American and Caribbean economies.

In 2016, she interned with the Office of Congresswoman Debbie WassermanSchultz through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, supporting legislative research and authoring memoranda on pending legislation and various policy issues. Following graduation, she worked as a legal assistant in Washington, DC. She also served as a volunteer with the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and the Central American Resource Center, agencies that serve low-income immigrants in the Washington, DC area. She translated documents and provided interpretation for clients applying for adjustment of status and naturalization with USCIS. Luciana hopes to use her law degree to address biases in the criminal justice system.

CHELSEA JOHNSON

Chelsea Johnson is from South Florida and graduated from Princeton University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Politics with a concentration in American Politics and a certificate in African American Studies. She was a member of the varsity women’s water polo team and an SIFP Head Fellow, providing oncampus personal, professional, and academic support to low-income/first generation students. During the summer of 2015, she volunteered with One Heartland Camp in Minnesota, serving as a counselor for children affected by illness and disenfranchisement.

During the following two summers, she volunteered with the SEED School of Miami, a boarding charter school for underserved communities in North Miami. She supported the operations department and served as a liaison with parents. During the summer of 2017, Chelsea served as a judicial intern in the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami, where she monitored court proceedings and documents and analyzed data on the effectiveness of court rehabilitation programs. In 2017,

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022 along with her sister, Chelsea founded the Johnson Swim School. She partnered with an educational prep program for students in underserved communities to promote water safety and teach children how to swim. She hopes to use her law degree to address inequities in the criminal justice system.

TYLER KOTESKEY

Tyler Koteskey is from Indiana and graduated summa cum laude from Taylor University in December 2017 with B.A. degrees in International Studies and Political Science. He was a Cross Country/Track and Field athlete and worked at the university’s Student Activities Center. He studied abroad in Costa Rica and Nicaragua during the spring of 2017 as part of the Latin American Studies Program. During the summer of 2017, Tyler served as an Immigration and Citizenship Intern for World Relief Chicago, a non-profit refugee resettlement organization, where he worked in the Immigration Legal Services Department, assisting attorneys with family law cases for immigrants and refugees. He handled document preparation, client intakes and translations. Following graduation in 2018, Tyler was promoted to a paralegal position at World Relief Chicago, allowing him to directly handle client interviews, case management, preparation of immigration applications, and supervision of interns. He received training on removal defense and was accredited by the Department of Justice to represent clients before the Department of Homeland Security. Tyler hopes to use his law degree to continue his work on immigration advocacy and address systemic issues created by poverty.

ESTEFANIA LALINDE

Estefania Lalinde is originally from Venezuela and later moved to South Florida. She attended the University of Florida, where she received a B.S. in Health Science in May 2015 and an M.S. in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with a concentration in Nonprofit Organizational Leadership & Certificate in Fundraising Management in August 2017. Her master’s project evaluated and analyzed the overall benefits of the Hands to Love Camp for children with upper limb differences. She was president of the Venezuelan Student Association and served as a tutor for student-athletes.

During the summer of 2016, she worked as a Human Resources and Communications Intern with Community Care Plan and became the Human Resources Coordinator in December 2017. She also volunteered with Mision Manos Hermanas, aiding orphanages, medical centers, and religious parishes in Villa El Salvador. Estefania held four positions with Teach For America beginning in 2014, including Development Intern, Campus Campaign Coordinator, and Networking Outreach Temp. Prior to law school, she was a Recruitment Associate, strategically assessing pipeline progress to identify opportunities and implement innovative strategies that influence the national campaign. Estefania hopes to use her law degree to serve disenfranchised communities, with a focus on children with disabilities.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022

EMMA MCEVOY

Emma McEvoy is from Belgium and received a B.A. in International Relations from Sciences Po in Paris in 2013 and a B.S. in Political Science & Sociology from the University of Leuven in Belgium in 2014. That year, she served as a Political and Economic Section Trainee with the Belgian Embassy to the U.S. She received an M.S. in Refugee Studies from London South Bank University in 2016, and worked as a Program Trainee for the Belgium Development Agency, assisting with preparation of pre-departure briefs for young international development professionals. She then served as a Cabinet of the President Trainee for the European Committee of the Regions, where she wrote speeches and background briefings on EU policy topics and took part in the 7th European Summit of Regions and Cities in Slovakia. From 2016-2018, she was a Community Services Advisor for the Peace Corps, where she served Paray Mission Hospital in a remote town of Lesotho, focusing on prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS among youth through strengthening of youth-friendly health services at the hospital and providing health education. She educated over 500 adolescents on HIV prevention and reproductive health, including care and treatment for HIV-positive youth and HIV-mitigation for affected youth. Emma hopes to use her law degree to pursue a career in immigration advocacy.

ASHLEY MEYER

Ashley Meyer is from Florida and graduated with a B.F.A. in Drama/Theatre Arts and a minor in Political Science from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in May 2017. As part of her undergraduate education, she was enrolled in the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Through the Stella Adler Studio of Acting Outreach program, Ashley led incarcerated women at Rikers Island through biweekly arts classes focused on Shakespeare analysis and performance, voice and speech exercises, and creative writing. She also organized a showcase for many distinguished guests, including the mayor of New York City. From 2014-2016, she served as the Lab Leader for the Summit Debate, a summer speech and debate institute, in Boston, where she taught acting through meditation and yoga. Beginning in 2013, she served as a tournament coach for middle and high school students attending speech and debate tournaments by guiding the development of the students’ own artistic processes via character exercises and vocal work. She also worked as marketing coordinator for a rental company and as a lending assistant for a bank. Ashley hopes to use her law degree to address issues in the criminal justice system such as wrongful convictions and prison conditions.

CATHERINE PEREZ

Catherine Perez is from Connecticut and graduated cum laude from The Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University in May 2017 with a B.A. in International Affairs, a concentration in European Studies and a minor in Art History. While an undergraduate student, she was a member of the Dean’s List, studied abroad in Paris, and received three Presidential Service Awards for her dedication to community service. She served as a student coordinator and tutor with For the Love of Children, a non-profit organization serving local low-income students.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022 During the summer of 2015, she interned for Rep. James Himes of Connecticut.

She worked as a clerk with a criminal defense firm during the summer of 2016. She spent her final semester of college interning with an immigration law firm, where she worked on asylum cases and applications to USCIS. Following graduation, Catherine worked as an immigration paralegal, managing an extensive caseload, conducting legal research, and interacting with clients from around the world. She also served as a volunteer translator with Catholic Charities. She hopes to use her law degree to continue advocating for immigrants.

DAVID PETRANTONI

David Petrantoni is from Tarpon Springs, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University in May 2013 with a B.S. in Political Science & Greco-Roman Classics, followed by an M.S. in Applied American Politics & Public Policy in May 2015.

He served as Chairman of the Internal Affairs/Healthcare Insurance Committee while a member of the Congress of Graduate Students and worked as a legal intern with the Innocence Project, where he managed case reviews and forensic evidence in order to exonerate the wrongly accused. After completing his graduate degree, David served as a Military Veteran Service Specialist for AmeriCorps VISTA, where he worked to improve the quality of services available to veterans in Miami-Dade through community engagement and partnership. He also crafted a development plan for the creation of Veteran Outreach Centers on each of MiamiDade College’s eight campuses, designed to centralize aid resources and to facilitate proper aggregation and analysis of student veteran data. David has also worked as a community organizer and regional director for a variety of initiatives including ending cash bail, immigrant and refugee advocacy and the protection of minority voting rights. David hopes to use his law degree to advance these causes in pursuit of a more equitable criminal justice system.

MALEAH RILEY-BROWN

Maleah Riley-Brown is from New York and graduated summa cum laude from Pace University in May 2018 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Homeland Security. While an undergraduate, she studied in the Pforzheimer Honors College and was a member of the Dean’s List and the Criminal Justice Society. She wrote a thesis on the history and potential closure of Rikers Island. During the spring of 2017, she participated in the service learning course Strategies in Correction Administration, where she collaborated with her professor and classmates to facilitate group discussions among female inmates in the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

The group also trained dogs to become service animals for hospitals and prisons.

During the summer of 2017, Maleah served as a Juvenile Rights Intern for the Legal Aid Society, where she participated in child protective and delinquency intakes and assisted with home visits. She also served as a Social Justice Student Aide with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and, in May 2018, traveled to Puerto Rico with a group to aid in Hurricane Maria relief. Prior to entering law school, Maleah served as an Investigations Intern for the NYC Department of Correction, assisting investigators in reviewing cameras and inmate injury reports to identify use-of-force issues. Maleah hopes to use her law degree to pursue a career as a public defender and to address challenges in the criminal justice system.

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022

TORI SIMKOVIC

Tori Simkovic is from South Florida and graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in June 2014 with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in Political Science.

From 2013 to 2015, she was an investigative reporter for the Medill Justice Project at Northwestern, where she investigated potentially wrongful convictions and uncovered evidence that led to new trials. She also wrote articles questioning the methodologies of fingerprint identification, the morality of solitary confinement and the reliability of eyewitness identification. She received the Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, as well as the Peter Lisagor Award. After graduating in 2014, she spent a year as a Field Producer for CBS 2 in Chicago, tracking crime throughout the city and helping reporters develop their stories. From 2015-2018, she worked in Savannah, Georgia as a reporter for WJCL News, focusing on local government and law enforcement.

Beginning in March of 2018, she served as a reporter for WPBF News in West Palm Beach, Florida, reporting lead stories and covering important investigations into the toxic algae crisis, Parkland school shooting, and FIU bridge collapse. Tori hopes to use her law degree to pursue a career as a public defender or with an Innocence Project.

DIMITRI SYROS

Dimitri Syros is from Sarasota, Florida, and graduated from New York University in May 2015 with a B.S. in Applied Psychology and a B.A. in Politics. While an undergraduate student, he was a member of the Dean’s List and studied abroad in Prague and Buenos Aires. From 2013-2015, he served as a Consumer Frauds Department Mediator for the New York State Attorney General, where he assisted with mediating consumer complaints.

Following graduation, he joined Teach For America, serving in Houston and Miami from 2015 to 2018. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2016.

During that time, he received an M.S. in Education Studies from Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Education. During the summer of 2016, he traveled to South Africa with the One Heart Source and was awarded the “One Heart Fellowship” for his outstanding achievement while working with local youth and empowering local educators. Beginning in the spring of 2018, he served as an education consultant, working in collaboration with incubator and accelerator programs to promote education technology start-up companies in South Florida. Dimitri hopes to use his law degree to advocate for underserved children through direct service and education policy.

ASHLEY VAZQUEZ

Ashley Vazquez is from New York and graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California in May 2018 with a B.A. in Print and Digital Journalism and a minor in International Relations. She worked for various media outlets as a freelance journalist, writing about social justice issues such as immigration, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ issues, homelessness, and religion. She interned for Rep. James Himes of Connecticut and Rep. Karen Bass of California, resolving constituent issues and writing letters on behalf of the representatives. In the spring of 2016, she assisted

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022 with research in the School of Public Policy by documenting California’s cleanup efforts of highly polluted low-income neighborhoods and interviewing state officials, activists, and health and climate experts. The following year, she worked on the HIV/AIDS and Homeless Veterans Projects at the Inner City Law Center, assisting attorneys who were working to address housing and public benefits issues on behalf of veterans in order to prevent homelessness. She then served as an executive assistant for a STEM Preparatory School. Following graduation, Ashley worked as a communications assistant and organizer with Sea Change Leadership PAC, where she handled their social media and coordinated volunteer opportunities and political education events. She hopes to use her law degree to combat systemic injustices.

MAXWELL ZOBERMAN

Maxwell Zoberman is from South Florida and graduated from Emory University in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Political Science and Spanish, with concentrations in Law and Political Theory and Spanish Linguistics. He was a member of the 100 Senior Honor Society, the Modern Language Honor Society, and the College Honors Program in Spanish. Maxwell spent a month at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain, where he participated in an intensive study in Spanish Fluency, Sociolinguistics, and Dialectology. He held various positions within the Emory Student Government Association, including President and Vice President, held a leadership role with the Mock Trial team, and served as a resident advisor. In 2014, he developed and managed campaign events and service projects for the Michelle Nunn for Senate and Jason Carter for Governor Campaigns. During the summer of 2015, he served as a Trial Investigative Intern with the Public Defender’s Office in West Palm Beach, where he conducted research for trial preparation, assisted with client interviews, and served as a translator. Beginning in December 2016, Maxwell served in the Teach For America Corps, where he taught Spanish in the fifth largest school district in the state of Georgia. Maxwell is an Officer Candidate in the U.S. Marine Corps and hopes to use his law degree to continue his commitment to public service as a Judge Advocate.

The Miami Scholars Program has been incredibly enriching and fundamental to my smooth transition into law school and positive first-year experience. From group events to oneon-one meetings, the academic, professional, social, and personal support of the program has made me feel at home and empowered in starting this new chapter. It is inspiring and invigorating to learn alongside other students with similar goals and passions but a variety of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

~Megan Hennings, Class of 2022

MIAMI SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2022

The Miami Scholars Program is the reason that I chose to attend the University of Miami School of Law, and I'm very happy that I did. The support and encouragement that I've received have enabled me to be active in the community while maintaining high academic standards. It's an exceptional thing when you're surrounded by a group of people similar to you in their passion for public service, but with an incredible amount of diversity of life experience.

~Madeline Seales, Class of 2020 Coming to Miami Law as a Miami Scholar allowed me to surround myself with people who cared about social justice as much as I do, and create a network of support that extends well beyond the classroom and into every facet of the law school experience.

Very few schools have a program like this and it says volumes about Miami Law that it has created a dedicated space for future lawyers like us, who are committed to equal justice.

~Sarah Lilly, Class of 2021 I find myself surrounded by intelligent and committed individuals in the Miami Scholars Public Interest Program. The students, professors, and advisors are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and apply their know-how, in order to uplift communities and improve the lives of others. I cannot imagine a more supportive group of people to learn from to further a life in the practice of public interest law.

~Emma McEvoy, Class of 2022

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead

Interest MIAMILAW HOPE Public Resource Center UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW

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