Tatiana Howard ‘17 awarded California Bar Foundation 1L Diversity Scholarship
Tatiana Howard ‘17 is a recipient of the prestigious California Bar Foundation 1L Diversity Scholarship. Howard received a bachelor’s degree in criminology and philosophy from Holy Names University and is currently a student at the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Howard, a natural athlete and gifted student, was born in Los Angeles. An early mentor in her neighborhood, Ricky, saw her potential and told her that she needed to succeed and make a difference. He knew that on her path to success she would stay connected and give back to their community. When gang activity took Ricky’s life in Howard’s sophomore year of college, it strengthened her resolve to live up to his expectations.
Howard initially attended Seattle University to play basketball, but she found it impossible to prioritize her ambitious academic goals while on a high-pressure basketball team. Realizing she needed to make a change, she discovered HNU through a family friend and transferred as a sophomore in 2014.
HNU offered Howard the opportunity to prioritize academics while still maintaining her dedication to basketball. While at HNU, she gained valuable leadership experience through executive roles in social justice and leadership clubs, such as secretary of the Black Student Union, and captain of the basketball team. She also regularly volunteered for local service organizations and interned at the Criminal Justice Services Department of the Judicial Council of California.
Howard always knew she wanted to become a lawyer, and it was the guidance of professors at HNU that helped her figure out the type of law she wants to practice. Carina Gallo, associate professor of criminology, taught her to look at law through an international lens and see how a global perspective can strengthen and improve local policies and systems. Inspired by Gallo, Howard has decided to focus on international criminal and humanitarian law. She plans to study at the University of Oslo in Norway when she graduates from USF.
Shelia Gibson, professor of philosophy, added a philosophical perspective to the material Howard was learning in criminology; this allowed her to think more critically and develop a deeper understanding of policy and practice in a real-world application. Professor Gibson encouraged Howard to network both inside and outside of the legal field. Howard said she is forever grateful to Gallo and Gibson, as well as other HNU faculty and staff, for their devotion to her success.
The California Bar Foundation awarded Howard with the California Bar Foundation 1L Diversity Scholarship in a formal ceremony at UC Hastings College of Law on October 5, 2017. Only 37 scholars were awarded this scholarship statewide.