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Student and Alumna Honored by PALSD & FALSD

February 2, 2011

Students Honored
Students Honored

Members of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law community received recognition in a big way at the Jan. 27 annual dinner of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego (PALSD) and Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego (FALSD).  TJSL student Dennis Solis 3L was awarded the $1,000 Myrna Pascual Community Service Scholarship while TJSL December graduate Natalie Ann Garcia was awarded a $1,000 FALSD Scholarship.

“As a recipient of the Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego scholarship, it is an honor to be recognized by the organization for my commitment and dedication to the Asian Pacific American community,” says Garcia “I was fortunate to have had such wonderful mentors during my law school career that helped guide me through this long process by providing wisdom and encouragement.”

The scholarship selection is based on scholastic and academic standing, financial need, and past, present and future community service to Asian Pacific Islanders and other diverse groups, with intention to remain in San Diego an added plus.”

Solis says “when I first started the law school application process, I asked my former undergraduate professor, whom I admired greatly, to ask if she would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me. Her response was that while I was a talented writer, she wasn’t so sure I was law school material.”

“Almost four years later, I near the end of my law school career. Winning the Myrna Pascual Community Service Award has affirmed what I sometimes had trouble believing in – that I was worthy of being a law student.” 

Solis adds his future plans are to work in the public interest or for the government. 

“It has been a rough ride, but well worth it.”

Garcia served as a student member of the FALSD Board of Directors in 2010. TJSL student Linda Lam will take her place on the 2011 FALSD Board. Howard Marsilio is the outgoing TJSL student member of the PALSD Board of Directors and student Christopher Ngo will fill his position for 2011.

The theme of this year’s dinner was “Shattering the Glass Ceiling” and featured as keynote speaker the Honorable Vijay Gandhi, Magistrate Judge of the U.S. Federal District Court.  He is the first Indian-American federal judge in the Central District of California, the largest district in the nation because of the more than 19 million people it serves, and only the second Indian-American federal judge in the history of the United States.