|
|
|
 |
|
Testimonial
|
|
|
 |
 |
"I have been involved with the V&E; Scholarship Foundation since it was founded. It has been a privilege for the firm to participate in mentoring and providing financial assistance to so many talented and promising students who have an interest in pursuing a career in the law."
Yolanda Chavez Knull
Chair, Vinson & Elkins Scholarship Foundation |
|
|
|
|
V&E; Scholarship Foundation
In 1990, Vinson & Elkins ("V&E;") created the V&E; Scholars Program which provided four graduating African American or Hispanic high school students in the Houston Independent School District ("HISD") a $10,000 college scholarship. In order to qualify, each student had to have a financial need, a strong academic performance, and an interest in law. In 1994, the V&E; Scholarship Foundation ("Foundation") was created and expanded the program to include students from school districts contiguous to HISD. In 1996, the program was expanded again to provide a scholarship to a student in the Dallas area. This increased the number of scholarship recipients to five per year. And, once again, in 1999, the Foundation expanded the program to the Austin area. Now, the Foundation provides six scholarships on an annual basis.
The funds for each student are submitted directly to their school in the amount of $1,250 per semester for no more than eight semesters (a total of $10,000) and are used to defray the costs of educational expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment. Each student must be a full time student. The scholarship is renewable each year based upon academic performance and financial need.
In 2003, the Foundation provided a total of approximately $50,000 towards college scholarships. After the Fall 2003 scholarship disbursements, since its inception, the Foundation will have awarded 57 scholarships and contributed approximately $475,000 towards college educations for outstanding minority students with financial needs and an interest in law.
In addition to the financial support, V&E; provides each scholarship recipient mentors and a summer job opportunities. The mentors are Hispanic or African American V&E; lawyers who provide the students with encouragement and guidance throughout their college and law school careers. Some scholars have clerked at V&E; during the summers and school vacation.
In April 2003, the Scholarship Committee, comprised of Yolanda Chavez Knull, Jim Reeder, and Mark Spradling in Houston, Karen Hirschman in Dallas and Mike Tomsu in Austin, selected six new scholarship recipients: five Houston area students, and one Austin area student. Each recipient achieved a score of at least 1100 on the SAT, had a financial need, and provided the Foundation with their application, a picture, an official transcript, an essay, and two letters of recommendation from their high school teachers and/or counselors. Of the five scholars that were selected from the Houston area, one has a full scholarship to Amherst College, one has plans to go to Columbia University, and the other three will be attending The University of Texas.
In celebration of the 2003 scholarship recipients, each recipient's V&E; mentor presented the recipient with an award certificate and gift at the recipient's high school awards night. In addition, the Foundation hosted an awards banquet in honor of the new scholars in the V&E; Courtroom. Invited guests include all scholarship recipients, their families, high school counselors and principals, all V&E; Houston office minority lawyers, mentors, and summer associates.
Of the 37 scholarship recipients who were scheduled to graduate from college by June of 2002, the Foundation has kept up to date with 33. Of these, five Scholars have received their Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degrees. Three of them are currently lawyers at three of the largest law firms in Houston. One is at Baker & Botts, one is at Bracewell & Patterson, and the other at Porter & Hedges. A fourth Scholar is at the law firm of Shelton & Valadez, P.C. in San Antonio and the fifth Scholar is an Investment Banking Associate at Goldman Sachs in Houston.
Three of our Scholars are currently attending law school and five others have been accepted to, are in the process of applying to, or are planning on applying to law school within the next year.
In December 2002, two more of our Scholars graduated with their undergraduate degrees. One of them is entering the Foreign Service with the State Department. Five more graduated in 2003, with one of those planning to attend law school. We have not yet received reports on the plans of the other four.
We have also learned that one of our Scholars, who is a second year law student at the University of Iowa, has just been selected to serve as next year's Senior Managing Editor of the Iowa Law Review and he has also been selected to clerk for U. S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate in 2004-2005.
As you can see, the Foundation has a lot to be proud of. |
>> Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
