We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Emery Reddy Workers’ Compensation Law Firm Scholarship. Read below to learn more about our winners and what they’re working on!
Legal Studies Scholarship – Dylan Marks
Dylan Marks is a 2L student at the University of California, Davis School of Law. Prior to law school, he worked within the Arizona foster care system providing trauma-informed care to youth while pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. During his first year of law school, he volunteered as a Student Counselor with Legal Aid at Work – Workers’ Rights Clinic. Dylan has also been a member of multiple student organizations including Lambda Student Law Association, Jewish Law Student Association, National Lawyers’ Guild, and King Hall Legal Foundation.
In 2022, he interned with the Legal Aid Society in New York’s Juvenile Rights Practice in Queens, New York and will intern this summer with the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office. Upon graduating from UC Davis School of Law, Dylan hopes to eventually work as a public defender for low-income, disenfranchised, and system-impacted communities.
Having grown up with parents who were both incarcerated and struggled with poverty, addiction, and discrimination, Dylan is deeply committed to a career helping others facing the same challenges.
General Studies Winner #1 – Iris Ghorbani
Shaadi “Iris” Ghorbani is a Freshman at the Trinity College Dublin/Columbia University Dual BA Program, with plans to obtain a double degree in Middle Eastern and European Languages & Cultures as well as Political Science. Her reputation for outspoken advocacy began at age 14 when she lobbied with Representative Jamie Raskin on the step of the US Capitol. In her first semester of college, she discovered a passion for advocacy for Iran, and has since organized multiple rallies and appeared in the Irish Times and Independent for her work advocating for Iranian citizens and minorities within the diaspora. She has also started the Dublin-based radio show Iran on Air to showcase Iranian music and activist interviewees.
In the future, Iris’s goals include spending the summer in Tajikistan to strengthen her knowledge of Farsi, and hopes to resume serving her community as a volunteer EMT while also continuing her outspoken advocacy for LGBT+ minorities through legal education and outreach.
General Studies Winner #2 – Babbi Martens
Born and raised in South Dakota, Babbi Martens has an impressive resume that includes nursing assistant, customer service rep, and even construction worker! But none of those roles fully satisfied her desire to be an advocate for those in need. After careful consideration, Babbi returned to school to pursue her associate’s degree in paralegal studies and began a new career supporting a family law and criminal defense firm.
Entranced by her supervising attorneys as they pursued justice and handled adverse opposing counsel and clients with grace and professionalism, Babbi knew she’d finally found what she’d been seeking. She is currently enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s program with the goal to attend law school after completion.
General Studies Winner #3 – Alysha Joi Johnson (not pictured)
Stay tuned…
We want to thank everyone who participated in the 2022 scholarship contest. We received almost 500 submissions across both categories, making it very difficult to choose our winners for this year. Check back in early summer for an announcement regarding our 2023 scholarship program.