April 13, 2006
UW School of Law announces first recipients of Gates Public Service Law Scholarship
The UW School of Law recently announced the selection of the inaugural five recipients of the William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholarship for 2006-07. They are Emily Alvarado, Vanessa Torres Hernandez, Illana Mantell, Colleen Melody, and Michael Peters.
Gates Public Service Law Scholars have the opportunity to attend the UW School of Law and then pursue public interest law without the crushing burden of educational debt. The scholarship program covers tuition, books, room and board and incidental expenses during law school. In exchange, students make a commitment to work for five years in public service.
Each of the first recipients say the chance to earn a law degree from one of the finest schools in the nation, free of any debt, is a dream come true. The financial assistance provided by the scholarship allows them to move directly into jobs doing what they love — providing public service to those in need. Brief biographies of each of the first five Gates scholars appear below:
A 2004 graduate of the UW, Colleen Melody received degrees in Spanish and Law, Society and Justice. Since graduation, she has completed a volunteer internship with The Defender Association and currently works for the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.
Melody has always been interested in the law and public service — her senior project at the UW was a policy analysis. The connection to public service law, she said, is clear because “it provides justice in the public forum. There is something very satisfying about working with people and providing them access to justice, public justice.”
To be able to walk out of law school with no debt, said Melody, means you can go directly to work in public service. “It’s difficult to accept a lower paying job when you have a large student loan debt. The Gates PSL Scholarship gives you a lot more freedom in choosing a job that speaks to your passion.”
Melody is “excited about getting to know the other scholars” and immersing herself into the existing public interest offerings at the law school, such as the Public Interest Law Association. “I can’t think of a better way to spend three years!”
Vanessa Torres Hernandez received her undergraduate degree from Amherst College and her masters of education. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University. She currently teaches at Soundview School in Lynnwood, Washington.
A native of Guam, Torres Hernandez said her family has always been involved in public service. Her grandfather was the first elected governor of Guam and was instrumental in pushing the U.S. to give the Guam people the right to self-govern and her father is a justice on the Guam Supreme Court. After graduating from Harvard, Torres Hernandez taught at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston, a school serving low-income students of color. She was inspired to see how kids who faced steep academic and socioeconomic challenges excelled in an environment focused on student achievement. After hearing about the creation of the Gates scholarship, she took the LSAT and applied to the UW law school within two weeks.
“I knew I eventually wanted to go to law school,” said Torres Hernandez. “My fear was that some law schools say they are interested in public service law but when you look closer, it’s just not a priority.” But she said the Gates Public Service Law Scholarship, a focus on public service in externships, the variety of service-oriented clinics, the Street Law program, and a 60-hour service requirement for graduation all pointed to the UW law school’s true commitment to public interest.
Torres Hernandez hopes the experience and education she gains at the law school will lead to work advocating for K-12 education reform either in the non-profit or public policy sector. “I love teaching, but what drives me to work outside of the classroom is when I see an excellent classroom. I think, ‘There should be more great classrooms…and there can be!'”
Ilana Mantell grew up in Toronto, Canada, and graduated from Stanford University in 1998. She said her excitement about “everything” led to her work as a freelance journalist, contributing articles on human rights issues from around the world. Mantell returned to Toronto to work at Interval House, an non-governmental organization with one residential shelter serving at-risk women and children. Over the course of six years, Interval House expanded to eight shelters to become Ontario’s largest private social service agency for women.
“I have always been interested in being an advocate and want to represent the underdog,” she said. “I became interested in public policy because most of the people we served had very little knowledge of how the system worked. They were immigrants and refugees — the most underserved. I watched what the in-house legal clinic lawyers were doing and I became increasingly interested in the legal aspect.”
As for the Gates scholarship, Mantell says, “I’m incredibly grateful. I hope it will inspire other civic leaders and foundations to make a similar gift for public service.”
An acting assistant professor of communication at the UW for the past five years, Michael Peters was raised in Grants Pass, Oregon, and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Portland. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a doctorate in communication, he has focused his scholarly work on health communication, persuasion, quantitative research methods, and interpersonal communication.
Peters’ commitment to community and public service is a result of his upbringing as the son of an educator and a nurse, and his own experiences growing up with cerebral palsy. He has extended that commitment in a variety of ways, including serving as vice chair of the United States Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Advisory Council. As a Paralympic soccer athlete, he feels strongly that “Olympians and Paralympians have a lot to give back to the community. It is important for us to look for opportunities throughout the year to get involved and touch people’s lives more than just once every four years.”
An increasing interest in health and human rights law and advocacy led Peters to apply to the UW School of Law and, later, the Gates scholarship. “The opportunity to contribute to the legacy of the scholarship’s namesake [William H. Gates] and his great work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a tremendous honor. The foundation addresses the kind of issues I’m interested in, particularly global health.” Peters was also attracted to the UW’s strong faculty and connections with other institutions in the broader Seattle community that address global health and justice issues.
“I feel that the UW law school will give me the skills to advocate for those who don’t have a voice, particularly disadvantaged women and children. For me, it’s vitally important to serve others in a way that respects their rights and promotes equal opportunities.”
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Emily Alvarado said it was her experience as a student in the public school system and her mother’s influence, which instilled in her a sense of social awareness. She attended Scripps College in Claremont, California, and after graduation, began her social justice career working for California Peace Action, a grassroots peace and justice organization. Alvarado then interned in the campaign office of U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (9th District, California).
For the last year and a half, Alvarado has worked for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon as a public affairs field organizer. It was there she solidified her passion for reproductive health and women’s rights advocacy.
“I firmly believe that women are unable to fully participate in society if they cannot control their own fertility,” she said. “I want to ensure that all women have the right and ability to access reproductive health care services regardless of their race, socioeconomic status or citizenship.” Alvarado would like to continue to work with the reproductive rights movement as an advocate.
“I am committed to use my personal opportunities to create a more just and equitable society.”
The Gates Public Service Law Scholarship Program is named in honor of William H. Gates (Bill Gates) and his commitment to public service. Bill Gates has had a distinguished career in law and many years of public service and presently serves as Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Scholarship Program was announced on the occasion of his 80th birthday in November of 2005.
Five scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis to first year students entering the UW School of Law J.D. program.
