Porter Hedges Announces Recipients of 2024 Scholarship at Texas Southern University

Porter Hedges is pleased to announce that Grace Njoya and Zoe Russell are the recipients of its Undergraduate Scholarship and Pre-Law Mentorship Program at Texas Southern University (TSU), one of the nation’s largest historically black colleges and universities. This is the first year that the Firm is awarding two full scholarships.

Grace, a senior from Woodbury, Minnesota, is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish. She currently serves as the Secretary and Community Outreach Chair for TSU’s Political Science Club. She aspires to attend law school to pursue a career as a criminal attorney.

Zoe, a senior from Missouri City, Texas, is majoring in Finance. In addition to her academic pursuits, Zoe is a licensed real estate agent. She aspires to pursue a career as a real estate attorney, leveraging her background in finance and real estate.

As scholarship recipients, Grace and Zoe will both receive a $10,000 academic scholarship and will participate in a 9-month mentorship program, which includes sessions with Porter Hedges attorneys and a mentorship pairing with a third-year law student from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at TSU. The scholarship was first announced in April 2021.

“As we enter our fourth year of partnering with TSU, we are thrilled to increase the number of scholarships awarded this year. We remain committed to supporting young and aspiring legal talent in the Houston community. Through our program, recipients not only receive financial support, but also gain valuable insight from Porter Hedges attorneys on applying to and succeeding in law school,” said Joyce Kao Soliman, Co-Managing Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.

The Porter Hedges Scholarship and Pre-Law Mentorship Program is awarded annually to undergraduate students at TSU who are interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession upon graduation, giving talented students a real-world look at the practice of law and the many ways in which lawyers serve and contribute to their communities.

For more information about Porter Hedges diversity initiatives, visit our Diversity and Inclusion page on the Firm’s website.

Grace Njoya		Zoe Russell