Jessica Leiva (J.D. ’19) knew she wanted to be a lawyer since she was a teenager. But her dreams were pushed aside after she graduated from college and entered the workforce. The birth of her son propelled her to set an example for him.
Although she had proven successful in other endeavors—she was the first in her family to go to college and was climbing the corporate ladder — the single mother began to question herself and wondered if she would fail in law school. A letter eased those doubts—Leiva was awarded an Atlanta Law School Fellowship.
“I was overcome with emotion; I was hysterical,” Leiva said at the Ninth Annual Scholarship Donor and Recipient Recognition Luncheon. “For me, this was so much more than finances. In my mind this was a complete stranger giving me a gift and saying ‘Jessica, I believe in you and I trust you are going to do what needs to be done with this gift.’’’
“I wanted to show my son that no matter what obstacles you encounter, you can always overcome and no matter how difficult life gets, if you work hard, you can chase your dreams,” she said. “So I couldn’t tell him to do this while I was settling for something that wasn’t my passion.”
Leiva was one of 152 students recognized at the luncheon, which brings together scholarship recipients and donors. Levia encouraged fellow scholarship recipients to commit to paying it forward.
“I know my story is not unique, this school is full of students who have overcome unbelievable odds … and I have no doubt you are just as grateful as I am to receive this gift,” she said. “We are standing on the shoulders of those who have come before us and it is our duty to pull up those who come behind us. No matter where our dreams take us, we can all find a way to give back just as the people in this room have paved the way for us.”
Paying it forward propelled Craig Cleland (J.D. ’92) to give back; among his contributions is the Sydney & Craig Cleland Award, given to one of the Dean’s Scholars each year.
“In the same way I was a student buoyed by people who supported me, it’s a pleasure to support them,” he said. “Georgia State is one of the finest law schools in the country and it attracts students who are unique in their perspective, mature in their insights and eager to get a law school degree and go out in the world and use it.”
Frank Slover (J.D. ’85) said giving back is one of the most rewarding things a person can do. “I don’t understand why more people don’t give,” he said.
As one of the first to graduate from Georgia State Law, Slover said enjoys meeting students every year and seeing how much the college has grown. “It’s revolutionized itself,” he said.
Cathy Henson (J.D. ’89) said the luncheon is one of her favorite events, because it gives her the opportunity to meet students who benefit from her gifts, which includes the Catherine Henson Law Scholarship.
Cathy Henson (J.D. ’89) said the luncheon is one of her favorite events, because it gives her the opportunity to meet students who benefit from her gifts, which includes the Catherine Henson Law Scholarship.
Henson said giving back through scholarships was especially important, given the relationship between income inequality and educational opportunities. She cited a recent article which stated that the top 20 percent in income were 90 percent likely to attend college, while those in the bottom 20 percent were 90 percent likely to not attend college.
“The reality is so incredibly stark,” she said. “The single most determinant factor between the haves and have nots, is whether or not your get a four year college education. In this country barely a third of the adult population has a college education. So I think it behooves us to invest in students who are capable but otherwise would not be able to afford a college education or a post graduate pursuit of education.”
Henson said the scholarships not only helps students financially and gives them a boost of confidence, but it sets an example for them to give back to the next generation.
In addition to wanting to be able to give back financially, many recipients pursue law degrees because they want to give back to their communities through their work.
“Growing up I saw that black people weren’t represented well in the legal field, so I just want to make sure I leave my mark on the world and help people,” said Sharnell Simon (J.D. ’19).
Being named a Dean’s Scholar, “makes me feel like Georgia State has a vested interest in me,” she said. The scholarship is one of the reasons she chose Georgia State Law.
“Apart from practical and experiential learning that Georgia State Law provides, the cost is very important to me,” said Simon, who graduated from Spelman College. “My mom, who is a single mother, just retired from military and she doesn’t have to worry about taking out loans for me. It means everything to me to not have that financial burden.”
Philip Kim (J.D. ’19), a recipient of the Ronald & Gwendolyn Freeman Family Scholarship, said relieving some of the financial burden also relieves a lot of stress.
Kim, who has a degree in political science from Emory University, said his father, who is a pastor, instilled in him the values of helping others. After college, he worked as a paralegal in an employment discrimination law firm, which motivated him to go to law school so he could continue that path. “I really enjoyed helping those people who are struggling and in a difficult situation,” he said.
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