Students share how financial aid helps them through law school
After he graduates, Alec Verch will be working at a boutique litigation law firm and building on his advocacy skills.
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law offers a broad range of scholarships and awards to help students focus on their future. Many students are able to pursue their education, while excelling in extracurricular activities and organizations, thanks to financial support.
As the first person in his family to attend university, third-year student Alec Verch views law school as an opportunity to gain the skills to become a well-rounded advocate in any environment. “My scholarship afforded me the privilege to benefit from every possible experience, and has opened a lot of doors that I never imagined,” he says about the John C. and Sally Horsfall Eaton Foundation Scholarship, which was established for first-year students who demonstrate high academic standing and financial need.
“As a first-generation student, I didn’t have the social or economic capital to navigate this institution of higher education without encountering a lot of friction along the way,” said Verch. “Without financial assistance, I’m not confident that I would have had the same opportunity to contribute to the growth of the law school in the ways that I have.”
The scholarship has allowed him to focus on his studies and immerse himself in extracurricular activities. “It was really important for me to use my voice and free time in law school to create safer spaces for other law students who identify with the 2SLGBTQIA + community,” says Verch who is a founding member of the Lincoln OUTLaws, an organization dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ students. He is also the founder and executive vice-president of the student-run Lincoln Alexander Labour and Employment Law Society.
Teni Odetoyinbo is pursuing law school in the hopes of giving voices to those who feel silenced.
Through scholarships and awards, law students are able to focus on the future. First-year student Teni Odetoyinbo, who received the Dale H. Lastman Leadership Scholarship, is considering going into employment and labour law when she graduates.
“Now I can go with my passions,” she says, instead of thinking solely about student loans as she chooses a career direction.
Prior to joining TMU she had a job giving coaches tools for recruiting student athletes at McMaster University, and started thinking about how people from equity-deserving groups are hired.
In one of her fall classes, Odetoyinbo did an assignment related to a class action lawsuit about how Black employees are treated compared to their counterparts, the kind of case she’d like to take on when she becomes a lawyer.
The Lincoln Alexander School of Law has been thrilled with the generous support its students have received to date from the legal community and beyond, particularly since the law school doesn’t yet have any alumni. Students can apply to a variety of options to fund their legal education at TMU. In November, the law school hosted a celebration to honour students who received scholarships, awards and academic prizes, as well as the supporters whose generosity made this possible.