February 24, 2009
CONTACT
David N. Hefner
Director of Communications and Marketing
Walter F. George School of Law
Mercer University
478.301.5000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer Law student organization awards high school scholarship
MACON, Ga. – A Bibb County 10th grader is the recipient of the first scholarship award given by the Mercer University Black Law Students Association in recognition of a high school student interested in pursuing a legal career.
Members of BLSA presented the $500 award to Bryanna Christine Smalls, 15, a student at William S. Hutchings Career Center, during the organization’s Empowerment Dinner on Feb. 21 at the Ramada Plaza hotel.
In her application, Smalls characterized herself as a “positive, hardworking, determined teen who really wants to do something with her life.” The Bibb County teen nearly came to tears when she was named the scholarship recipient. The award is given to a Bibb County high school student who plans on attending college and pursuing a legal career, said BLSA President Allison Monyei.
“We wanted to reach out by providing role models and mentors for high school students as well as financially investing in our community,” said Monyei, a second-year law student at Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law. “It’s all about giving back.”
Several high school students attended the event, many from a local Upward Bound program.
“BLSA, like other student organizations at the law school, does an outstanding job of supporting the community and of serving as role models for aspiring lawyers,” said Mercer Law School Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd.
“This scholarship award is just another example of BLSA’s commitment to Macon and Bibb County. I congratulate Bryanna and all the high school students who participated in this event.”
The Mercer BLSA chapter is affiliated with the National Black Law Students Association and the Southern Region Black Law Students Association. The organization’s community outreach initiatives include feeding the homeless, clothing and food drives, mentoring students, and sponsoring blood and health-awareness drives. This month, BLSA members held several mock trials at area Bibb County elementary and secondary schools.
About Mercer Law School
The Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law is ranked among the Top 100 law schools in the United States, and its legal writing program is ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 ranking of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” Founded in 1873, Mercer Law School is among the oldest in the nation. Its innovative Woodruff Curriculum – which focuses on ethics and practical skills amid small class sizes – earned the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association for its “depth of excellence.” With a total enrollment of about 400 students, taught by some of the sharpest legal minds in the country, Mercer Law School is recognized as one of the nation’s best. For more information about Mercer Law School, visit our Web site at www.law.mercer.edu or call 478.301.5000.
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