Education is power.
Allison Maxim and Tara Smith want to empower future generations by offering two scholarships to motivated and committed students interested in pursuing advanced education in social justice, immigration rights, civil rights, anti-harassment, and gender and women’s studies. One scholarship will be awarded prior to fall and spring semesters.
Meet Your Benefactors
Allison Maxim, J.D., M.A., and Tara Smith are family law attorneys working in St. Paul, MN. Allison and Tara are committed to the advancement of students interested in pursuing degrees in areas that support social justice and the causes such advocacy supports. Offering scholarships allows them to “pay it forward,” to those students who are as committed to justice and civil rights as they are.
Eligibility Requirements
The award is granted two times per year and is not needs-based. Applicants must:
- Be accepted into an accredited college in the United States
- Be interested in pursuing a college degree in social justice, immigration rights, civil rights, anti-harassment, gender, and women’s studies, or other programs that advance justice for all people
Award
The scholarship provides two $500 awards; one per semester to different students. The award recipient will be notified of their selection by June 30th, 2022 for Fall Semester.
Scholarship Deadline
The current scholarship deadline is May 31st, 2022, for Fall Semester.
Submission Information
To apply, please complete our online application. All application materials must be received by the deadlines in order to be considered for the scholarship. Awards will be announced by June 30th (for Fall Semester 2022).
Award Recipients
Lisa Cardoso
Spring 2022
I remember when I used to go to work with my mother. Whenever she was not too occupied, she would let me sit on my pink Cinderella chair by her desk so I could complete my homework as I listened to her contact clients. My mother sounded so strong, confident and even mean sometimes when something was not going as she expected. I was inspired by her boldness and control, and I hoped to one day make her proud of me as I was of her.
Jazel Flores
Fall 2021
Fall 2021 Maxim Smith Family Law Social Justice Scholarship winner Jazel Flores overcame a charge of truancy as a teenager to graduate from high school and later embark on a journey of de-carceral activism at UC Berkeley. She will be attending Columbia University starting this fall to obtain a master’s in school-based social work. As a future school social worker, Jazel’s goal is to integrate social work practices into Restorative Justice (RJ) initiatives in South LA schools to promote decarceration by rearticulating school as a site of service instead of criminal branding.
Laajlim Khang
Spring 2021
Please join us in congratulating our Spring 2021 scholarship winner, Laajlim Khang. Laajilm, who happens to be a local student at the U of M, was chosen based on his captivating essay about his experience as a first-generation Hmong American college student. Laajlim plans to complete a master’s degree in clinical social work so he can work with marginalized communities so he can reframe how we help non-traditional people.
Allison Kelly
Fall 2020
Allison Kelly is this semester’s Maxim Smith Law Social Justice Scholarship recipient. Twice per year, the scholarship is awarded to one student who is pursuing a degree in an area that supports social justice.
Carlie Petrovics
Spring 2020
Carlie Petrovics, a law student from Virginia, is this semester’s Maxim Smith Law Social Justice Scholarship recipient. Twice per year, the scholarship is awarded to one student who is pursuing a degree in an area that supports social justice. Read Carlie’s moving essay to learn all about how she hopes to use her education to help her community.
Amanda Alvarado
Fall 2019
We are pleased to announce that the Fall 2019 Maxim Smith Social Justice Scholarship has been awarded to Amanda Alvarado! Amanda is pursuing a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She was inspired to further her education while working as a Residential Counselor with youth whose mental health and behavioral needs warranted residential treatment. Amanda will use her degree to bring resources, access, and assistance to survivors of sexual assault, incarcerated populations and at-risk youth in her community of Hilo, Hawaii.
Olivia Kennedy
Spring 2019
Olivia Kennedy is a high school senior at George Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa concurrently enrolled in Kirkwood Community College. Next year, she will attend DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois or the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. “I have grown up in a bizarre time in our country and world’s journey to social justice. On one hand, we seem to be making impactful strides toward a more just and equal world.”
Jesan Ataharul
Fall 2018
Jesan Ataharul, a University of Pennyslvania Law student, has been awarded the first ever Maxim Smith Social Justice Scholarship. Jesan has worked for and volunteered at several organizations, but his focus is primarily with youth. He has experience with the Philadelphia Teen Court as well as the Phoenix Youth and Education Commission. Jesan has worked with teen offenders who received sentences of restorative justice, and he hopes to continue doing his part to address systematic inequalities amongst the next generation, including battling the school-to-prison pipeline.
Disclaimer
Any taxes on scholarships are the responsibility of the award recipient. By accepting the scholarship, the winner agrees to allow Maxim Smith to use their name and essay to announce the award. The Maxim Smith Scholarship is non-renewable and former recipients are not eligible to receive an additional award. The scholarship is provided by Maxim Smith. Click here to learn more about Maxim Smith’s areas of practice.