Fanny Turcios is a second-year law student at South Texas College of Law. She grew up in Bryan-College Station, Texas, and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. Fanny’s family migrated to the United States in the 1990s because of the Salvadorian Civil War. Fanny Turcios was the first in her family to graduate high school and university, and she is now the first in her family to pursue a professional degree. After law school, she intends to continue leaving a legacy for her family through her passion for service, hard-work, gratitude, and intellectual curiosity. Fanny was the Assistant Executive Editor in the Fall of 2016 for the South Texas Law Review and was also recently named Research Editor on the Executive Board of the South Texas Law Review. She is also a Director of the Board of Advocates, a finalist in the Fall Intramural Moot Court Competition, the 2L representative for the Houston Young Lawyers Association, and a member of Phi Delta Phi, an honor extended to the top 20.0% of her law school class. Her community involvement includes serving as a translator for the Asylum/Human Trafficking Clinic at STCL.

Gloriana Gonzalez is a 2L at the University of Houston Law Center.  Having moved here from Costa Rica at the age of three, she has since then called Houston her home. She is involved with the Hispanic Law Students Association at UHLC through the mentorship program and also as an executive board member. She is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution team and has proudly represented her university at the International Chamber of Commerce Competition in Paris, France.  Gloriana is also On the Dean’s List, competed in the Tom Newhouse Mediation Competition in the Fall of 2016, and won a special award for “Best Advocacy Skills” at the ICC Mediation Competition in February of this year.  She is presently employed as a Law Clerk for Liu & Associates having previously served as a Law Clerk for the UH Office of the General Counsel and as a Legal intern for the Panama Supreme Court-National Center for Conflict Resolution.

Ieshia Smith is the proud mother of five (5) children.  She has not had an easy life, having been placed into Children Protective Services as a young child, dropping out of school, and losing the father of four (4) of her children when pregnant with her fourth.  However, encouraged by her Bishop and Pastor, she returned to school to obtain her GED and continued on to graduate from the University of Houston Downton with a 3.5 grade point average.   She is now a 2L at Thurgood Marshall School of Law ranking in the top 15.0% of her class.  She also, somehow, finds the time to work with the non-profit Urban Research and Resource Center, serve as an academic tutor for 1L students, serve as a Student Ambassador for her school, serve on the board of the Christian Legal Society, as an officer for “Parents Attending Law School,” and as an Usher Board Member for Ministers for Christ Christian Center.  Ieshia’s plans for the summer include serving as court appointed Special Ad Litem with Child Advocates.

2014 Scholarship Recipients