Crystal Terrazas of Berwyn awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Crystal Terrazas, a resident of Berwyn and double major in legal studies and political science at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Lee Humphrey Dodd Memorial Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Terrazas, who plans to continue her education in law school, said she found her passion for practicing law while participating in middle school debates.

“During one project, I was the only one defending a side of the argument, to help those that couldn’t help themselves,” she said. “That’s when I realized that is exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life; to protect those that can’t protect themselves.”

On campus Terrazas’ leadership helped establish the Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority on campus. She has also served as a resident assistant, a member of OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students), and Model United Nations.

As part of Model United Nations, Terrazas traveled to New York as part of the UIS Delegation, and received the “Outstanding Delegation” award, the highest recognition awarded by the national organization.

She credits her internships with the Atteberry Law Office and political campaigns for Ann Callis and Sen. Dick Durbin with preparing her for law school and her career.

Currently she is working with the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, helping people who are unable to afford legal services.

Terrazas is on track to graduate in 2018 and will attend law school. After that, she plans to open her own law firm concentrating in immigration rights, family law and women’s rights.

“My internship, organizations and classes have shown me that many people are unable to fight or defend themselves,” she said. “I want to be someone that can do that.”

The Lee Humphrey Dodd Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the life of Dodd, a Springfield-area attorney who became the first woman to be named first assistant state’s attorney.

To qualify for the Lee Humphrey Dodd Memorial Scholarship, students must be a legal studies or criminal justice major with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217/206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu.

For a full list of scholarship opportunities visit www.uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships/. The deadline to apply for institutional scholarships is February 15, 2018.

If you are interested in creating a scholarship, please contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or giftinfo@uis.edu.