We are so proud of and amazed at our local legacy Hanna! Hanna's mom Amy K is a Beta Eta (FSU) and
Tallahassee business woman,
http://akconsultinggroup.org/Who.html. Hanna's family raised her with Wisdom Devotion and Achievement in mind and she is already a true Real. Strong. Woman. representative.
She's already been in the Tallahassee
Democrat at least three times, She sits on the Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and (of course) she was in the 2011-2012 Class 8 for
Youth Leadership Tallahassee! Her recent accomplishment was winning a
Freedom Scholarship from the law firm of Brooks, LeBoeuf, Bennett, Foster & Gwartney.
We cannot wait for Hanna to continue *WOW*ing us when she heads off to college next year. With women like Hanna stepping out and stepping up, the world WILL be a better place.
2012 Freedom Scholarship winner announced, 11:35 AM, Jul 27, 2012
Hanna Karimipour is the 12th recipient the annual freedom scholarship essay contest. / Special to the Chronicle
The law firm of Brooks, LeBoeuf, Bennett, Foster & Gwartney is pleased to announce that Hanna Karimipour, who will be a senior at Lawton Chiles High School this fall, has become the 12th recipient our firm’s annual freedom scholarship essay contest.
Each year, our essay contest has grown more popular with students throughout Leon, Wakulla, Gadsden and Jefferson Counties. In an effort to promote education and awareness of American liberties, we invite high school juniors and seniors to submit essays on “The Bill of Rights: What they mean to me as an American.” The winning contestant, chosen by a celebrity panel of judges, is awarded $2,500 to assist with their future educational expenses.
Our esteemed judges this year included Leon County Circuit Court Judges Kevin J. Carroll, and James O. Shelfer, and Leon County Judge Robert R. Wheeler. The judges selected Hanna Karimipour as the winner of the 2012 Freedom Scholarship. Hanna is the daughter of Masoud and Amy Karimipour. Since most of Hanna’s family is from Iran, she has had the firsthand opportunity to truly appreciate how different her life would be without the Bill of Rights. Fully appreciating how fortunate Americans are to have freedom of speech, Hanna really gets involved in public policy issues.
She started “The Do Something Club” which is involved in International Human Rights and Poverty. She is Chairman of the Florida Youth Commission, and serves on the Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She started the Youth Advisory Board of the Florida Commission Against Domestic Violence, and she has been chosen by Ann Taylor to travel to Washington where she will learn more about women’s issues. After high school graduation, Hanna will study International Studies and economics in college. She then plans to obtain a law degree and work in the field of Public Policy. After meeting Hanna and her family, we have no doubt that she has a very bright future ahead of her.
Applications for our 2013 Freedom Scholarship essay will be available on our website early next year. If you would like more information about the scholarship, please visit www.TallahasseeAttorneys.com.
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Education in the Justice System: Are Teens Left Behind?
Is skipping class okay if you're behind bars? Across the country, teen delinquents are being placed in jails for adults, instead of the juvenile detention centers that are geared towards teens. These adult detention centers do not have the proper resources necessary for teens, including education and counseling.
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 16-year-old Wayne Treacy is suing the Broward County school board claiming he has not been given a proper education while awaiting his trial in an adult jail. He asserts that he has only been getting five hours of instruction a week at the adult facility. Before he was transferred there, he was at a juvenile facility, receiving twenty-five hours of schooling a week.
Although the adult facilities are generally not appropriate for teens, it can be argued that the adult facilities are better equipped for teens who have committed harsher crimes. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, many states house youth in these adult facilities because “the juvenile justice system may be ill equipped to handle youth charged with serious crimes and that the juvenile court may be too lenient in its punishment and control of such youth.” Despite the fact that the adult facilities may deal better with serious teen criminals, the educational or counseling programs offered to these teens are basically the same offered to adults, providing insufficient preparation for teens that are eventually released.
Juvenile detention centers, on the other hand, are created for youth, and ensure educational instruction, as well as rehabilitation options, preparing teen offenders for life after release from jail. The main goal of juvenile detention centers is to guide youths towards their release, providing at least twenty five hours of education a week and other counseling and rehabilitation programs.
As horrible as some crimes committed by teens may be, eventually most of the teens imprisoned will be released. The majority of youth in jail will not be in jail forever, and will eventually have to become contributing members of society. Because of this, it is important that these teens receive proper counseling and education while serving time, which is found in the Juvenile Justice System.
What can you do?
Connect ex-offenders with employment like this project did.
Donate books to detention facilities.
Tutor at-risk peers and students younger than you.
--submitted by Field Reporter Hanna Karimipour
