For 6 years, Keller & Keller has partnered with the University of New Mexico Law School to grant scholarship funds to first-year law students who have demonstrated the desire to further their legal education. Each year, a total of $12,000 is awarded, and we're proud to announce 2019's winners here!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Keller & Keller Law School Challenge!
(View 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 winners here.)
Val Day-Sanchez
Val Day-Sanchez is an author, TEDX speaker, and professor of communication studies. Dedicated to education, she believes it has the power to combat social justice issues that plague our society.
She is the Owner of The Only Black Girl in the Room, a group that facilitates Equity and Justice Workshops across the country to help professionals an organizations embrace inclusive practices. She founded the So What Are You??? Podcast to increase diverse storytelling in media.
Val is the 1L representative of the Black Law Student association. She hopes that a law degree will allow her to help more people and provide access and advocacy to marginalized communities.
Mackensee White
Mackensee White was born and raised in Florida before moving to New Mexico at the age of 15. She lived in a small town called House before moving to Albuquerque in 2015 to attend the University of New Mexico and attain her Bachelor’s Degree. She graduated in 2019 from UNM where she majored in Political Science and minored in American Studies.
Mackensee loves working with kids and hopes to continue to pursue doing so with a law degree. Before coming to law school, most of her jobs have been centered around working with children or sales.
The University of New Mexico accepted Mackensee and she began studies in Fall 2019. Since then she was elected to be the 1L Representative for the Association of Public Interest Lawyers.
She is incredibly grateful to have received support from Keller & Keller, and is proud to be on the journey toward entering the legal profession as an attorney.
Keifer Johnson
Keifer graduated from the Western Colorado University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Pre-Law and History. As an undergrad, Keifer was fortunate enough to intern with Judge Steven Patrick, Chief Justice for Colorado’s Seventh Judicial Court, and saw firsthand how an effective attorney can positively affect the lives of people in local communities. He is proud to be a first generation law student.
Before attending law school, Keifer worked for Colorado’s Office of Alternate Defense Counsel. During his time there, he assisted public defenders in helping underprivileged defendants prepare for trial. It was this experience that cemented his commitment to justice and helping those most in need.
He is beyond thankful to have received support from Keller & Keller, and proud to be on the track toward entering the legal profession as an attorney who can make a positive impact on the lives of hard working people in his community.
