RALEIGH — Campbell Law School Dean J. Rich Leonard has announced Caitlin Heidel, Awa Mbai, Lydia Peterson and Jason Thomas as the 2024 recipients of the law school’s four highly prestigious, full-tuition competitive scholarships.
“I am thrilled to announce the recipients of our competitive scholarships from the incoming class of 2027,” Leonard said. “Our law school is committed to doing all we can to make sure that every qualified student that wants to use the law as a means to serve others has the opportunity to do so.”
Heidel, a native of Hilton Head, South Carolina, is the recipient of the Cheshire Schneider Advocacy Scholarship, which is offered annually to one student with demonstrable success in advocacy programs such as debate or mock trial during high school and/or college experiences. During her senior year, Heidel interned at Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) in order to earn her degree in educational interpreting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, contributing more than 350 hours of work to help the nonprofit legal services organization.
Mbai, who hails from Greensboro, North Carolina, is the recipient of the Leary & Joy Davis Leadership Scholarship, which is offered annually to one student with demonstrated leadership skills and the potential to become a leader in the law. Mbai is currently the president of the Student Government Association at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNC-G), where she worked to help make the school more diverse and inclusive, and also helped develop outreach programs within the Greensboro community. This spring, Mbai will earn her bachelor of science from UNC-G, where she focused on political science.
Peterson, who calls Clemson, South Carolina, home, is the recipient of the Janette Soles Nelson Public Service Scholarship, which is offered annually to one exceptionally qualified student with plans to practice law in service to the public. She is currently an intern at Peterson Law Firm, where she contributes to legal research and analysis, assists attorneys in preparing case materials and supports the firm’s day-to-day operations by managing correspondences and welcoming guests. Peterson will earn her degree in history with a minor in business administration this spring from Clemson University.
Thomas, who is from Raleigh, North Carolina, is the recipient of the Ben & Patrice Thompson Achievement Scholarship, which is offered annually to one high-achieving student who has overcome significant obstacles in life, such as socio-economic or educational hardships, disabilities or other major challenges. Thomas is set to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-C) this May with a major in history honors and a minor in secondary education and legal studies. He spent more than a year working as a research assistant for Dr. Mark Wilson on his upcoming book about the Military Industrial Complex. Thomas researched, read and provided Wilson with a variety of primary sources from the 1950s to 2000s.
ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law School has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 4,800 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2024, Campbell Law is celebrating 45 years of graduating legal leaders and 15 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.