The winner of the 2023 Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC Volunteer Service Scholarship is Jordan Tye. Tye is presently in law school at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and should graduate in 2025 with her Juris Doctor degree. Prior to that, Tye attended the University of Colorado Boulder. From that institution, she graduated with a major in Marketing and a minor in Political Science. Her goal is to sit for the bar exam in 2025 and practice law in Phoenix, Arizona.
She has faced many adversities to get to this point. In fact, Tye has said that she had to grow up at age six. Faced with troubles at home, she moved in with her grandparents. During those formative years, she developed a love for learning and read as many books as she could. Under the care of her grandparents, Tye went from a struggling student to a member of the gifted program and double advancement courses.
Another pivotal point in her life was her freshman year in high school. That year, Tye worked as a Teen Court volunteer for the El Paso County Courthouse. Tye learned an important lesson in assuming stereotypes that year. While reading a police report on a young offender, Tye formed an ugly image in her head fueled by her own biases. When she met the defendant, instead of seeing a delinquent and unruly teenager, she saw a young boy in need of help.
It was during this volunteer service that Tye decided to become a lawyer and help those in need. She witnessed firsthand how lawyers can help the people in their communities. Like the attorneys she saw, she too hopes to be an inspiration to others as well.
For her own inspiration, Tye has looked to two people: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her mom. Tye learned about strength and perseverance by studying Justice Ginsburg’s career and understanding the hardships her mother faced.
While in school, she has served her community in multiple endeavors:
- Interned for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
- Volunteered for Colorado Springs Teen Court and CU Restorative Justice
- Participated in Phi Alpha Delta, a pre-law program
- Executive Director of Finance for the Family Legal Interest Project
- Associate Editor for Jurimetrics
Tye has also acted as a mentor and tutor to multiple students through such programs as the Women Law Student Association. She also has practical experience as an intern for a family law firm while attending ASU.
Tye is extremely grateful to receive our scholarship, and we are very thankful to award it to her. With this scholarship, she will be able to continue her studies without the stress of taking out student loans.