Congratulations to the 2017-2018 Armonica Law Student Grant recipients! The Foundation is proud to offer this grant in honor of late Foundation Board member Armonica Gilford, the first Black female Oregon Assistant Attorney General. The grant is available to third- or fourth-year students attending the three Oregon law schools who can demonstrate a commitment to the Foundation’s goals through their personal volunteer or educational experience. Ethnic minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Each recipient receives a monetary grant in the amount of $1000 and is matched with a judge who serves as the student’s mentor for the academic year. The recipients and their mentor-judges include the following:
Traci McDowall (Willamette University College of Law), to be mentored by Judge Meagan Flynn:
Coming from a rural upbringing to pursue her legal education, Traci’s goal is to break the barriers that many young women face in pursuing their dreams.
Demi Jacques (Lewis & Clark Law School), to be mentored by Judge Cheryl Albrecht:
Demi has interned at the Human Rights Law Center in New Delhi in their Reproductive Rights Unit. She is currently focused on issues specifically related to women, non-binary individuals, and immigrants.
Marina Spencer (Lewis & Clark Law School), to be mentored by Judge Youlee You:
Marina served as a Peace Corps volunteer for two years in West Africa. She worked with women to help them further their financial independence and prevent child malnutrition. She continues to work with sexual assault victims in the homeless community and other disadvantaged populations closer to home.
Myla Sepulveda (Lewis & Clark Law School), to be mentored by Judge Stacie Beckerman:
Myla is a first-generation Hispanic woman who was raised by a single parent. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college and pursue a professional education. She has volunteered in a variety of forums to teach and provide advice to non-native English speakers and refugees in countries such as South Korea, Brazil, Iraq and Bhutan.
Lekha Fernandes (Lewis & Clark Law School), to be mentored by Judge Adrienne Nelson:
Lekha ran a business that both employed and supported her local minority community through job training and educational support. She is dedicated to creating and encouraging a community of strong, empowered minority women wherever she works and lives.
Armonica Gilford
