Diversity Scholar Recipients
Diversity Scholar Recipients
Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR
INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The Fund provides financial assistance of up to $2,000 to students or professionals. This support can be used towards:
· Degree program or fellowship in alternative dispute resolution
· Conference or training program in alternative dispute resolution
The goal is to empower diverse leaders and professionals in ADR by helping them access education and training opportunities that advance their careers and enhance inclusivity within the field.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LAW STUDENTS AT HBCUs
The AAA-ICDR Foundation partners with law schools at two historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) – Howard University and North Carolina Central University – that offer certificates in dispute resolution. Key details include:
· $50,000 awarded annually to each law school.
· Scholarships specifically for second- and third-year law students pursuing certificates in dispute resolution.
· Recipients are selected each year in September by the respective law schools
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Scholar Recipient
2023 Scholarship Recipients
2022 Scholarship Recipients
2021 Scholarship Recipients
2020 Scholarship Recipients
Scholar
Luis Heras
New York
SCHOOL
City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law
Luis Heras is a second-year full-time law student at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. He is an aspiring litigator interested in employment litigation, white-collar defense and investigations, and alternative dispute resolution practices. At his law school, he is engaged in Moot Court, Law Review, the Latin American Law Students Association, and the Black Law Student Association. He is also a Teaching Assistant for Legal Writing and a member of the American Bar Association Litigation Section. He currently interns at Mintz Group, which is a due diligence and investigation firm. This past summer, he served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Nelson S. Román of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, in White Plains, New York. Before law school, he worked for three years at the Center for Court Innovation after graduating from the University at Albany, State University of New York, with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Criminal Justice.
GRANT AMOUNT
$670
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Marco Graniel
Texas
SCHOOL
University of Houston Law Center
Marco Graniel was born in Los Angeles, California. He loved his formative years in Southeastern and Central Mexico and moved to Houston, Texas for high school and beyond. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Spanish at the University of Houston - Downtown in 2010. He worked for the Drug Enforcement Agency and translated Houston Rockets online articles before becoming a 1st grade teacher at Crespo.
After nine years of teaching elementary and middle school students, Marco decided to pursue a law degree at the university of Houston Law Center with the purpose of advocating for underrepresented and underserved communities in Houston, with a focus on undocumented migrants. Working full-time as a middle school teacher while attending law school in the evenings allowed Marco to stay disciplined and focus on his purpose. During his summer breaks, he interned with Justice Gordon Goodman at the First District Court of Appeals in Houston and Judge Ignacio Torteya at the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Texas in Brownsville, Texas.
He recently started a position as a multilingual program specialist with the Houston Independent School District where he supports teachers and administrators at different campuses. His aim is to provide the tools and best practices necessary for emergent bilinguals’ English language acquisition and development. In addition to taking a full course load in the evenings, Marco is the Recent Developments Editor for the Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law and has recently joined UHLC’s ADR team. His goal is to work for a litigation boutique firm with a strong alternative dispute resolution side.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Morenike Erinkitola
New Orleans
SCHOOL
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Morenike Erinkitola is a 3L at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Prior to attending law school, the Chicago native enjoyed a successful career in hospitality. She later transitioned to working in state party politics after graduating from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Ms. Erinkitola currently serves as the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Law Student Vice Chair. She is the Student Bar Association’s Social Events Co-Chair, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society’s Alumni and Events Chair, and a member of the PACE Environmental Law Moot Court team at Loyola. She is also a Rule XX student practitioner in the misdemeanor section of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic & Center for Social Justice. Ms. Erinkitola studied abroad in London this past summer while earning her Certificate in Global Arbitration: Law and Practice from Mitchell Hamline Law School. Outside of school, Ms. Erinkitola serves as the Judicial Independence Fellow for CourtWatch NOLA. In her free time, she enjoys being a mentor to first-year law students and cooking for her friends. Ms. Erinkitola hopes to become an arbitrator and settle international commercial disputes after graduation.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Nermeen Karyaquos
Pennsylvania
SCHOOL
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
I am a 3L at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am a first generation American whose family immigrated from Egypt. As the first in my family to go to graduate school and become an attorney, I hope that I can make a difference by using my diverse background and experiences to help others who find themselves in conflicts. After law school I will be working at a firm, but I am hopeful to eventually find my way in the world of mediation and arbitration.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Nicholl Paulerio
Texas
SCHOOL
University of Houston Law Center
Nicholl Paulerio is a 3L at the University of Houston Law Center, graduating in Spring 2023. A Houston native, she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Houston. Nicholl is a first-generation law student. Her studies focus on corporate law and international Oil and Gas, complementing her employment as a specialist in Data Protection at Oceaneering, an energy services company in Houston. She also is an active member of the UHLC National Alternative Dispute Resolution Competition Team and was a 2022 finalist placing 2nd in South Texas College of Law’s Energy Law Negotiation Competition. She enjoys both litigation and transactional work. Post-graduation, Nicholl hopes to continue working in corporate law and aspires to standardize dispute resolution practices and skills into the corporate industry.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Olivia Fortunato
New York
SCHOOL
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Olivia Fortunato is a student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. She serves as co-chair of the TV/film committee for the Entertainment Law Society and entertainment committee for the Intellectual Property Law Society. Olivia is a member of Cardozo’s ADR Competition Honor Society and recently competed in the FINRA Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon. She has had the pleasure of interning with Sony Music Entertainment and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Prior to law school, Olivia worked at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as the Associate Producer of Public Programming. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music where she studied music business and harp performance and continues to work professionally as a harpist.
GRANT AMOUNT
$670
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Sanzida Talukder
New York
SCHOOL
City University of the School of Law
Sanzida Talukder is a full-time 2L student at the City University of the School of Law. She is completing a dual degree program — a Masters in International Affairs and a Juris Doctorate. She was born and raised in the Bronx and has previously worked at the local community boards. She has a passion to improve the quality of life of individuals in struggling communities through the legal system. As a current research associate at Neville Peterson LLP, she has the opportunity to engage in mediation as a form of dispute resolution. She is eager to learn more about alternate dispute resolution and how she can advance her career in alternative dispute resolution. Sanzida hopes to use ADR as a tool to increase access to justice.
GRANT AMOUNT
$670
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Sylvia Elena Davila
Mexico
SCHOOL
Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey
Sylvia is a Mexican Law Student at Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey (“FLDM”). She is at the top of her class and will be graduating in December 2022. She is currently writing her final article of investigation in the effectiveness of Arbitration for Business and Human Rights disputes. She has worked at different law firms, and currently she is part of the legal staff of Hogan Lovells in its Monterrey Office. During her time in Law School, she has participated in different student associations. She was a member of the 2020 FLDM Student Council. She is an active member of Salinas Martinez Inn Chapter of Phi Delta Phi and served as Vice-Magister of such Chapter for the 2021-2022 term. Additionally, she is a member of the International Law Society at FLDM.
As a sign of her commitment with her community, she drafted a proposal to amend the General Law for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Mexico in order to expand the scope of education and labor rights. Sylvia has a strong passion for ADR. She has been involved in Moots regarding Arbitration, obtaining significant results and awards. Additionally, she is a member of the founding group of FLDM International Arbitration Association. Finally, she has a deep interest in public and private International Law and aspires to become a successful arbitrator and mediator.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Tony Reed
Nebraska
SCHOOL
University of Nebraska College of Law
I am a second-year law student at the University of Nebraska College of Law. As a non-traditional student, I previously worked in human resource management and in media marketing. I have many career interests, but am especially passionate about civil rights on college campuses and thus have a strong interest in institutional equity and compliance in higher education. Specifically, I would like to glean how schools can design and bring to life alternative dispute systems to provide informal resolution for Title IX complaints. Secondly, I would like to offer ADR services to address the unique needs of the LGBTQ community in Nebraska.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,300
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar
Xiaoyu Huang
New York
SCHOOL
Columbia Law School
Xiaoyu Huang (he/him) is a J.D. candidate at Columbia Law School, where he is the development editor of the American Review of International Arbitration and received the Vivian Wu Yen Fellowship in honor of Michael I. Sovern. He graduated with an A.B., with honors, from Brown University in 2021. Before law school, Xiaoyu was the co-founding vice president of Pansophy Education Institute, an education company based in Vancouver, Canada.
GRANT AMOUNT
$670
PROGRAM
AAA Diverse Student Summit
Scholar Recipient
2023 Scholarship Recipients
2022 Scholarship Recipients
2021 Scholarship Recipients
2020 Scholarship Recipients
Scholar
Abiola Funmilayo Faleye
Nigeria
ABOUT
Abiola Funmilayo Faleye is from Nigeria, a seasoned legal practitioner of over 18 years, a certified Mediator and a Peace building Advocate expert with special interest in WPS, Peace education, Community peace building and conflict resolution. She has niche in family mediation and Restorative Practice. She is Passionate about building peaceful communities and using her expertise in this field as social change mechanism. She has over 18 years of experience as a legal practitioner both in the judiciary and private practice and have spent the last six years as a peace builder and good governance advocate in both conflict and post conflict zones. She has volunteered and still volunteering with many organizations locally and regionally especially in community peace building. She is deeply involved in women empowerment and gender equality advocacy. She has gone for several trainings both at home and abroad to deepen her knowledge and understanding in peace building. She facilitated several capacity building sessions spanning over several areas of peace building. She is a member of several
organizations and initiatives on and also co- founded a network of Women Mediators (WiMNet) to bring women in this field to visibility in Africa.
Grant Amount
$1,800
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Xikhongelo Pearl Mukhari
South Africa
ABOUT
Xikhongelo Pearl Mukhari is a 30-year-old lady from a small village called Elim under Makhado Municipality in the Limpopo province in South Africa. A 4th year LLB student with the University of South Africa and recently graduated as a peacebuilder with MBBI for ARCoM, very passionate about peacebuilding and praying to make the world a better place with her acquired skills from the all the trainings she will be receiving.
Grant Amount
$1,200
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Khin Thida Soe
Myanmar
ABOUT
My name is Thida, and I am from Myanmar. I have been serving as a Peace practitioner, mediator and a community dialogue facilitator over a decade. I am also a strong humanitarian. Over past years, I have brought my expertise on Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding (Nexus) to address the intersectional issues of H-D-P. On the other hand, whilst I am emphasizing on building peace that bringing community cohesiveness, I am promoting the human rights/ SOGIE rights that respect the diversity and inclusion. On professional front, I have left Christian Aid where I worked as a Programme Manager (Peacebuilding Nexus) and I just recently joined The LinQ Foundation based in Chiang Mai Thailand. The LinQ promotes the Human Rights and SOGIE rights, advocate for acceptance and recognition towards LGBTQ+ communities, bringing and respecting diversities and inclusion.
In Myanmar since the Coup, Myanmar Military Regime took over power on Feb 1, 2021, all the functions of social, political and economy collapsed and thousands of innocent civilians got killed by the Myanmar Security Force while over thousands of young people including journalists, politicians and activists were detained and some were sentenced to death. Government staff joined Civil Disobedience Movement and students quit the education. The economy and healthcare system were completely collapsed. Post Covid and due to the compounded crises of the current political turmoil, the people got traumatized with a lot fear due to the brutal military crackdown and crime against humanity and genocide towards minority groups, women, children and LGBTQ+ individuals. The people are in a traumatized situation and over 15 million of people are facing with poverty and humanitarian crises. As the repercussion affect, suicide is on the rise and lots of people have frequent suicidal attacks and are negatively impacting their mental trauma. Being a peacebuilder, human rights defender, it is so vital for me to take some responsibilities of helping people healing trauma and brining peace and unity amongst the communities along with bringing transitional justice. Hence having right knowledge and skills on trauma informed peacebuilding is highly important for me to bring more positive changes in the community and building peace.
On top of this, I have been so fortunate that I am one of MBBI alumni since 2015 and I am well trained by MBBI mentors over conflict resolution, leadership challenge and mediation. I have been adapting the gained knowledge into action in my workplace as well as peacebuilding journey throughout the years.
To be able to understand not only the local/regional peacebuilding spectrum, but it is also so crucial to understand the Global peacebuilding trends in daily changing world. Hence having a chance to get connected with peacebuilders across the Globe is highly important for me to learn about their works that I can adapt in my workplaces as well as in peacebuilding sectors. Taking this opportunity, I am keen to share the current context of Myanmar and draw attention of international communities towards supporting in addressing Myanmar issues.
Grant Amount
$1,200
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Adama Sesay
Sierra Leone
ABOUT
I am Adama Sesay. I am from Sierra Leone and I live in a small town called Port Loko District in Sierra Leone by the north west region.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Sierra Leone and I have gone through so many trainings on peace building and leadership for girls and women empowerment.
I am more interested in peace because of my community and country fight about family life, superiority, discrimination etc., which is affecting girls and women the most. I stand to fight for their rights and freedom. I therefore, founded a community based organization called Collective Woman Network Sierra Leone which main aim is to see women attain their full potential in society through peace.
Grant Amount
$560
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Kate Ferguson
South Africa
ABOUT
Kate Ferguson is passionate about humanity’s ability to become part of the solution through our relational intelligence, presencing and aligned action. She draws on her experience in transdisciplinary research, peacebuilding projects and facilitating social & strategic innovation, to guide complex multi- stakeholder collaboration in ways that value local knowledge and best practice. Having taught yoga for 6 years, Kate is dedicated to integrating accessible ways to practice embodiment & mindfulness, inviting our somatic intelligence to inform strategic processes and conflict facilitation. Kate is part of a regenerative leadership duo called The Social Soil who design workshops for progressive organizations & businesses in the healthcare, wellness, legal justice, sustainability and creative fields. Their workshops result in successful prototypes, by bringing diverse stakeholders together in new ways. Kate is also project lead for Pathways of Peace with Amava Oluntu.Kate Ferguson is passionate about humanity’s ability to become part of the solution through our relational intelligence, presencing and aligned action. She draws on her experience in transdisciplinary research, peacebuilding projects and facilitating social & strategic innovation, to guide complex multi- stakeholder collaboration in ways that value local knowledge and best practice. Having taught yoga for 6 years, Kate is dedicated to integrating accessible ways to practice embodiment & mindfulness, inviting our somatic intelligence to inform strategic processes and conflict facilitation. Kate is part of a regenerative leadership duo called The Social Soil who design workshops for progressive organizations & businesses in the healthcare, wellness, legal justice, sustainability and creative fields. Their workshops result in successful prototypes, by bringing diverse stakeholders together in new ways. Kate is also project lead for Pathways of Peace with Amava Oluntu.
Grant Amount
$1,800
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Fathima Dildar
South Africa
ABOUT
Fathima Dildar has IT (information technology) experience in the large corporate sector as well as in education. She has fulfilled various roles such as educator, programmer, systems analyst, and solutions architect. She has international certifications in mediation, restorative practices, counselling and coaching. She is an advocate for peacebuilding, gender equality and social cohesion and volunteers her skills, expertise and experience towards multi-sectoral consultations, forums and organizations, reporting, research and development. She also facilitates trauma-informed workshops.
Grant Amount
$1,800
PROGRAM
Restorative Practice and Trauma-Informed Peacebuilding training and the MBBI congress (10th International Peace Congress in Nairobi, Kenya)
Scholar
Gennea Moss-Moore
New York, NY
ABOUT
As the former Director of HR Compliance for 9W Halo Op Co LP d/b/a Angelica, she was committed to ensuring compliance with state and federal laws, company policies and procedures, and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
Gennea is currently an HR Consultant with over 20 years of labor relations and human resources experience with companies such as, Union Carbide Corporation, Charter Communications, Lockhead Martin, and American Red Cross, just to name a few. These positions afforded her the opportunities to be a Company Advocate in arbitrations and other steps of the grievance procedure; Chief and Co- Spokesperson during CBA negotiations; and case manager and change manager for Company policies and procedures. These employment experiences coupled with her education background provided her with a strong foundation in research, writing, presentation and conflict resolution. She believes successful communication is key in reaching and relating to her audience no matter the position she is in.
She was born and raised in West Virginia. She obtained her BA in International Affairs and an MS in Industrial and Employee Relations from Marshall University and a JD from Appalachian School of Law. Gennea completed the FMCS certification for “Becoming a Labor Arbitrator in 2022. She was accepted as a Higginbotham Fellow in 2023 and she is currently completing her HR Consultant Certificate (March 2023).
Gennea has an adult son and daughter who are excited to be a part of this journey with her.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Gloria J. Medina
New York, NY
ABOUT
Gloria J. Medina is a Commercial Litigation Associate at Rivkin Radler, a mid-sized firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. There, she works primarily on commercial litigation and arbitration, with additional work in the fields of employment law, insurance defense, products liability, and professional liability.
Gloria graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in May 2022, earning a J.D. and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution.
While in law school – where Gloria matriculated after a previous career in public service – she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ADR Competition Honor Society, an analogue of Moot Court focusing on the disciplines of arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. Gloria also worked as: an Alexander Fellow, serving as a full-time judicial intern for Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in the S.D.N.Y.; a student mediator in Cardozo’s Divorce Mediation Clinic; and as a member of the Innocence Project Clinic.
Gloria speaks Spanish natively and Mandarin Chinese at a basic level after studying the language at Wellesley College, from which she holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a Psychology minor.
In her free time, Gloria enjoys board games, apartment-gardening, and playing with her Golden Retriever, Leo.
Grant Amount
$500
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Amanda L. Scheeser
Ohio
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Antonia Gia Sanchez
Providence, RI
ABOUT
Gia Sanchez is Bristol Community College's Title IX & Equity Compliance Officer. Before working at Bristol, she was a partner in Pittsburgh law firms for over fifteen years. Gia represented employers and individuals in civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment discrimination and civil rights. Her experience includes prevailing in jury trials and appeals before state and federal courts, including in cases of first impression.
From the inception of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program, Gia has served as a neutral. She completed lengthy mediation and conflict resolution training programs. Gia has also served as a hearing officer for public school districts.
Gia is an accomplished speaker and writer. She has served as a presenter for continuing legal education and trainer for non-attorneys. She co-facilitated a roundtable discussion on transgender inclusivity for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) East Coast Conference. The Public's Radio published her essay on gender identity which remains available online. On a lighter note, The New York Times published Gia's Tiny Love Story entitled "Living in the Light."
Gia is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was a member of the law review.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program