At The Law Firm of Arcadier, Biggie & Wood PLLC, we believe that one of the main tenets that makes our democratic society great, is the ability to to share and debate opposing philosophies, to challenge one another to consider alternative ideas, and to use this discourse to develop compromise that allows a community to thrive.

Our law firm is offering a $1000 scholarship to help a student who exemplifies a strong understanding of the value of civil discourse and has used the ability to share and communicate ideas in the face of adversity to help better their community. Their community is not limited to just their town or place of residence; it can be their town, their school, a club, or any other community they help to improve and build up.

Scholarship award winners agree to have their name and University name published, alongside the prior names of past winners, as well as have the winning essay published.

Eligibility Criteria

• This scholarship is open to any student who is currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or professional program in the United States. This includes accredited community college students as well as high school seniors and students who possess a GED who have been accepted to or are enrolled in an accredited program.
• The scholarship applicant must be dedicated to and exemplify strong community leadership in any community of which they are apart, as illustrated via their essay response.
• All eligible candidates must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above.

Essay Prompt & Questions

Respond to the following in an essay of 1,000 words or less:

• Describe a situation or time that you were able to use civil discourse to help improve your community on the whole.
• Since this time, what have you done to help lead your community to betterment?
• In what ways will your education help you continue to use civil discourse to be a strong community leader?

Application Materials

• Updated resume
• Essay, 1,000 word maximum. See essay questions above.
• Current unofficial transcript

Submission Deadline: August 1, 2021

All application materials must be submitted by this date

Award Announcement: September 2021

Scholarship Amount: $1000

Application Instructions

Scholarship applicants must submit all application materials (see above) by email to:

arcadier@melbournelegalteam.com

Past Winners

Andrew Easler, 2019, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)

Katie George, 2020, University of Florida (UF)