Four College Students Receive Scholarships Funded By Humphrey Justice Fund
The Young Lawyers Division has selected four individuals as recipients of the scholarships for children of slain or permanently disabled North Carolina law enforcement officers. The funding for the scholarships is made possible by the Hubert B. Humphrey Justice Fund North Carolina Bar Foundation Endowment. The total amount of the scholarships for 2021-22 exceeded $5,000.
The 2021-22 recipients are:
- Amber Beaman
- Ashley Campbell
- Joshua Pyle
- Andrew Weaver
To be eligible to receive the scholarship, individuals must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be the natural, adopted or stepchild of a North Carolina Law Enforcement Officer permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty.
- Applicants must submit their application on or before 27 years of age.
- Applicants must provide proof of enrollment or admission as a full-time student to one of the following: an accredited four-year college or university; an accredited community college or technical college; or an accredited law school.
Access more information on the scholarship here. Additional information on all North Carolina Bar Foundation scholarship programs is available here.
Amber Beaman
Amber Beaman is in her senior year at Emory University, where she majors in biology with a minor in dance and movement studies. Her professional goal is to attend medical school following graduation and to become a doctor.
In her application letter, Amber writes, “I am from Ayden, North Carolina and love the rural area that I grew up in and plan to return once I become a medical doctor. I have a love and special interest in the medical field and enjoy working with people. In the near future I plan to apply to medical school when I complete my undergraduate degree.”
Amber is actively involved at Emory as a Research Ambassador. In her sophomore year, she began conducting research in Dr. David Civitello’s lab, where she studied the effects of the disease Human Schistosomiasis. This fall, she will conduct her own research in the lab.
She is also active in Atlanta: she has served at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and at STEM Pathways as an orientation mentor. As a founding member of the SuRE Foundation (Supporting Recovery Efforts in Our Community), Amber helped to raise awareness of substance use disorder in her community.
Ashley Campbell
Ashley Campbell is a first-year student at Pitt Community College in Winterville, and she is taking courses as prerequisites for a degree in occupational therapy.
In her application, Ashley writes about her interest in becoming an occupational therapist, as it is a field in which she will have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
“I want to help people with necessary life and job skills who have disabilities. Helping others has always brought me so much joy.”
When asked what the scholarship means to her, Ashley shared, “It is very helpful. It means a lot because when my father died, it helped my mom out a lot being a single mom, so that she was not left financially alone.”
The scholarship will be very beneficial in helping her to achieve her professional goals.
“Right now, I am going to school to be an occupational therapist. I am striving to get accepted into the Occupational Therapy program, so the scholarship will help me to take the classes that are needed to get into the Occupational Therapy program and to pursue my career as an Occupational Therapist.”
Joshua Pyle
Joshua Pyle is a senior at Western Carolina University. He is a double major in criminal justice and emergency disaster management. Joshua was a recipient of this scholarship in 2018-19.
Joshua has completed and passed his North Carolina Emergency Medical Technician training and is certified by the state. He also has eight years of experience playing music in band. As part of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at Western Carolina University, Pyle performed in the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York city.
When asked what receiving the scholarship means to him, he said, “It really is an honor – going through college, one of the main concerns is the financial burden. And this is something that helps me further my education and that is something I have always been passionate about. With more education and certification, there are more doorways you can take. It means a lot to me because my father served 21 years in law enforcement. It is an honor to him from me. It made me feel honored to received this.”
The scholarship will help Joshua to achieve his professional goals in several ways.
“It will give me this opportunity to not have to worry about the financial burden because getting through college, a lot of people don’t go because of the financial burden. Without it, I would be paying off student loans for years. This is a big help. It gets me excited – I am going to achieve my goals in a timely manner and afford more opportunities for higher education.”
Following graduation, Pyle hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement, beginning locally in order to have a positive impact on his community. Later, he hopes to work in law enforcement at the state or federal level.
Andrew Weaver
Andrew Weaver, from Andrews, recently began his first year as an undergraduate at Brevard College. While in high school, Andrew was a senior infielder/pitcher at Andrews High School and is now on the Brevard College baseball team. Andrew is pursuing a degree in business and marketing at Brevard.
On what it means to him to receive this scholarship, Andrew said, “This scholarship meant a great deal to me and my family. It gave us a sense of security knowing that I can go to school and play baseball without stressing about the cost of tuition. I was incredibly honored to have received this scholarship from such a credited institution.”
In his scholarship application, Andrew outlined his goals following graduation from college: he hopes to create a scholarship foundation for his community to help athletes from low-income areas to be able to attend college. He also would like to open a batting cage and training facility to encourage children to become involved in sports and to help them to stay off the streets.
Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.