SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED

LAW SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS CHOSEN

Congratulations to ERIN BARKER, JENNIFER GARCIA and MANNING PEELER, all of Raleigh, who each received a $4,000 Wake County Bar Association memorial scholarship. The scholarships are awarded annually to law students or persons about to enter law school who have Wake County ties and are funded through donations, the annual golf tournament and late fees from district bar dues. The scholarship fund was founded in memory of Edwin S. Preston Jr., former Wake County Chief Resident Superior Court Judge.

ERIN BARKER 3L, CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL

“Once I find employment after graduation, my goal is to practice education law, specifically special education law. I have a passion for helping the students, teachers, parents, and other members of the WCPSS community. I want to ensure that all students and teachers in my community know their rights and responsibilities when it comes to special education. As a former WCPSS teacher, I know how important it is for everyone to be informed and supported in this area, and my goal is to provide that information and support from a legal perspective.”

JENNIFER GARCIA 2L, CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL

“Throughout my professional and academic experiences, I have always made sure to use my experiences and identity as a minority student to empathize with, advocate for, encourage, and to educate others in minority communities which will not stop 10 years down the road. I will make sure I will utilize the connections I make, lessons I learn, and skills I develop to help our future generations by participating in panels and programming aimed towards future law students. I am ardently passionate about being a part of the organization that furthers legal diversity, even if it means helping one student at a time.”

MANNING PEELER 3L, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

“In deciding to go to law school, I knew that I wanted to challenge myself and find ways to serve my community. I did not grow up envisioning myself as a lawyer. Rather, that dream developed in college, when I found that law school offered me opportunities to stimulate my intellectual curiosities, to explore innovative ways to help people, and to foster relationships with other like-minded people. Through my roots in Wake County and strong lessons from my family about service, I have acted on my desire to serve my community at Wake Forest University and hope to do the same in Wake County as I develop a career practicing law.”