Kathleen Wade wins the 7th Annual Brooks, LeBoeuf,
Bennett, Foster & Gwartney Freedom Scholarship

In 2001, Brooks, LeBoeuf, Bennett, Foster & Gwartney started the Freedom Scholarship essay competition. Rickards High student, Whitney Johnson-Rule wrote the winning essay on the topic "The Bill of Rights: What they mean to me as an American."

Six years later, the annual essay contest is still going strong. "Kathleen Wade, a Lincoln High junior at the time of winning, was the winner of the 2007 Freedom Scholarship," firm partner Scott Gwartney said. "She is a bright young woman and did an outstanding job expressing her thoughts on the Bill of Rights." Gwartney continued, "Every year our esteemed judges comment on how impressed they are by the caliber of students this competition attracts. I have to admit, we were all surprised when we realized that the judges had blindly selected yet another winner from Lincoln High. It certainly puts Lincoln in the enviable position of being undefeated for six consecutive years. And we believe it puts an extra exciting edge to the challenge this year. We want to encourage more participation from other students in our neighboring counties."

"I found out about the contest through my English teacher, Mrs. Spradlin," said Kathleen Wade, the 2007 Freedom Scholarship winner. "I've always been interested in legal topics, but I didn't know exactly where to start. I finally decided to write about my involvement with our school's Mock Trial team and how that experience affected my outlook on our Constitution. I didn't think I was going to win, because I'm from Lincoln and I saw an article in the paper encouraging other students to "give Lincoln a run for their money." I was surprised when I received a phone call from Mr. Gwartney and I would just like to thank Brooks, LeBoeuf, Bennett, Foster & Gwartney for giving me the opportunity and the money to fund my college tuition. It is definitely appreciated."

Wade is interested in majoring in Political Science and Classical Civilizations at Georgetown, University of Virginia or William and Mary and then continuing on to law school.

"Each year the firm is fortunate to have a group of independent "celebrity" judges kind enough to donate their time to read and rate each unidentified entry and then select the winning essay," said Gwartney. The 2007 judges included U.S. Magistrate Judge William C. Sherrill, Jr., District Court of Northern Florida; Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds, Second Judicial Circuit Court, and Dean Don Weidner of the Florida State University College of Law.

In addition to receiving $2,500.00, the winner has his or her name placed on a trophy along with the prior scholarship recipients. The trophy is then displayed at the winner's alma mater until the next year's scholarship is awarded. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp joined the firm's partners and Lincoln Principal Martha Bunch at the Capitol to present Kathleen and her parents, Neill and Debbie Wade, with her $2,500 check from the law firm and the trophy that has remained in Lincoln's trophy case all year.

Freedom Scholarship Winners:
2011 Logan Harvey, Wakulla High School
2010 Caroline Ubben, Leon High School
2009 Jessica Stephens, Homeschooled
2008 William Doran, Leon High School                           
2007 Kathleen Wade, Lincoln High School
2006 Rebecca Lu, Lincoln High School
2005 Lisa Nicole Trainor, Lincoln High School
2004 Layne Zhao, Lincoln High School
2003 Rachel Kuncicky, Lincoln High School
2002 Katie Lynn Ball, Lincoln High School
2001 Whitney Johnson-Rule, Rickards High School