Congratulations to our winner!

Racial & Social Justice Scholarship

Brandy Austin Law
Racial & Social Justice Scholarship

The trustworthy and caring lawyers and staff at Brandy Austin Law, PLLC feel lucky to be able to help people as a part of their daily work. Both in their professional work as well as in their personal lives, members of the firm are committed to community involvement and are encouraged to help the community by being members of non-profit and other organizations that directly support the community. Our founder and managing attorney, Brandy Austin, comes from humble beginnings and has worked hard to create an innovative law firm that, curtails its work to truly meet the needs of each individual client by providing high-quality legal services to a diverse community, provides ample professional growth opportunities for everyone on the team, and one that gives back to the community.

Born in a small town in North Carolina, Brandy is the first college graduate of her family who defied the odds by getting not just a college education but also a law degree and subsequently started her own law firm. Her accomplishments are a testament to her hard work, perseverance, determination, and resilience- but Brandy is also aware that not only are the playing fields uneven, but there are also many people who can’t even get on the field and this is something that she wants to be changed. 

Brandy Austin and her team work diligently and are committed to serving ALL people in need in their diverse community. They do this by providing people with access to quality, ethical legal services, and they have witnessed and understand how racial and social injustice repeatedly make terrible impacts on the many, many lives of the racially and socially marginalized people in their community and throughout the United States. To this end, they would like to support the education of a student who is committed to promoting and fighting for racial and social justice. They feel that helping a student who is planning to do similarly good work (albeit can be in any discipline, not just law) will help to make the world a better place with a brighter future. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • This scholarship is open to any student who is currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or professional program in the United States. This includes accredited community college students as well as high school seniors and students who possess a GED who have been accepted to or are enrolled in an accredited program.
  • The scholarship applicant must show their dedication to fighting for racial and social justice. This should be explained in their essay by telling the reader what their past achievements and goals have been, as well as their current and future goals. 
  • All eligible candidates must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above. 

Essay Questions

Answer the following questions in an essay of 1,000 words or less:

  • What experience or experiences have you had that made you want to fight for racial and social justice?
  • How have you fought for racial and social justice so far and how do you plan to fight for it in the future?
  • Explain your ultimate educational goals and how they will enable you to continue the good fight, of fighting for racial and social justice.

Application Materials

  • Updated resume
  • Essay, 1,000 word maximum. See essay questions above.
  • Current unofficial transcript

Submission Deadline: Saturday May 1, 2022

All application materials must be submitted by May 1, 2022, to brandy@brandyaustinlaw.com

Award Announcement: Tuesday, June 1, 2022

Scholarship Amount: $1,000

If you have any questions, please submit them to brandy@brandyaustinlaw.com

Guidance Gunundu

Guidance Gunundu is an upcoming model, actor, artist, and user experience designer who is currently based in California and will be moving to Georgia this fall. In Georgia, Guidance will be attending one of the most prestigious and world-renowned Arts Colleges which is Savannah College of Art and Design.

As a young child, Guidance always knew his calling was to become a creative artist and started participating in drama clubs, marimba clubs, and the National Institute of Allied Arts.

Guidance has volunteered for the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanities, Bravemaker, Second Harvest Food Bank, Phi Theta Kappa honors society, and always tries his best to give back to the community.

Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC

Lily Sweet King

Lily Sweet King is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi in Oxford majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and Hospitality Management.

She works in the Ole Miss football office as assistant to the director of recruiting, is a member of Cru, volunteers by reading weekly to children at a local elementary school, and is the founder of THE LONGEST TABLE at OLE MISS which brought 400 students together for dinner and dialogue to promote civil discourse and inclusion.

She plans to attend graduate school after college.

Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC

Priyank Patel

Many of the underrepresented minorities I grew up with were not provided the same guidance, legal assistance, and diversity initiatives that I was afforded. As a result, I have always taken full advantage of the opportunities that gave me a chance to prove my talents and show all the unique traits I bring to the table.

During my first year at law school, I had the privilege of being a research assistant to Berkeley Law Professor David Oppenheimer. Under his guidance, I was able to explore and analyze critical issues pertaining to equality in the workplace that plague our society.

This project also allowed me to research and learn more about such discriminatory initiatives that exist in other countries. I am eager to continue my commitment to diversity, rise up against all odds, and make an impact on the legal profession while proudly representing the Brandy Austin Law Scholar Foundation.