Rise Above Scholarship

At Silberman & Lam LLP, we advocate for the everyday employee. While working for a good company builds character and professional skills, too many people are uninformed of their rights as employees, allowing managers or executives to exploit their labor and time. As Workers’ Compensation attorneys, we are well-versed in identifying instances where employees are taken advantage of by their employers.  

That is why we created the Rise Above Scholarship to hear from students across the nation about any experience being mistreated or taken advantage of in a professional workspace and how it has shaped their perspectives. Our goal is for this scholarship to create a platform for students to share their stories and to instill confidence as employees who may be suffering mistreatment.

We ask people to share a time when they were being taken advantage of as employees, interns, or group members. Those who have persevered through constant exploitation deserve to have their voices heard. Let this be a time to spark meaningful discussions that help students build confidence as future members of the workforce  

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is December 31, 2026. Once all submissions have been received, the entries will be reviewed, and one student will be selected to receive a $1,000 award.

Eligibility

• Any current high school senior, vocational student, college student or graduate student may apply so long as they are a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and enrolled in a vocational program or two to four year post-secondary institution.
• Any employees of Silberman & Lam, the persons living in the same households of such individuals (related or not) and their immediate families are not allowed to participate in the competition.
• Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing to be considered for the scholarship.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must submit a 750-1,000 word essay response to the prompt: Share a time when you felt like you were being taken advantage of as an employee, intern, or group member. How did this experience affect your professional relationships with those involved? Has your experience helped you look for future or current employment red flags? How did a negative, professional situation turn out to be a positive one in the long run, and how did you learn from it?
• Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI-generated writing is detected in the essay, the application will be denied.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred to a new school may submit an unofficial transcript from their current institution, as well as the most recent official transcript from their previous school. High school students can submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.