Judge Bill Higgins Public Service Scholarship Winners

Having spent years representing those seriously impacted by personal tragedy and accidents, our firm takes inspiration from those who chose work in public service. It is with this in mind that The Judge Bill Higgins Public Service Scholarship was created to reward one student deemed to best represent the importance of public service in their local community.

The following is a list of our annual winners and why they we believe they best exemplified the traits and attitude we were looking for. To find information on the scholarship and how to apply, visit our scholarship page here.

Hello, everyone, my name is David Ochoa, I’m 18 years old, and I’m currently an undecided engineering student at the University of Central Florida. I’m originally from the isthmus of Panama, the southernmost country in North America, but I’ve been residing in Florida for a little over 5 years now. I’m very passionate about soccer, basketball, innovation and helping out the community. At UCF I am an active member in multiple organizations such as the Latino Student Association, Lunar Knights, and intramural sports. My goal as an individual is to be able to utilize my skills learned through these clubs and as an engineer to make a difference across the community. More than anything, I want to be able to use my degree as an engineer to improve the quality of life for those who don’t have sufficient access to the resources and technology that we need nowadays, locally or internationally.

The following is what David had to say when announced as the winner:

"I am extremely grateful and appreciative of this opportunity that has been given to me by the Higgins firm. As a college student it is not easy to manage finances, class and being actively involved in the community. This scholarship allows me not only to cover for part of my college fees, but without the burden of debt, allows for more time spent positively reaching out to the community. Once again I am supremely thankful and elated that I got this opportunity and even more motivated to keep actively participating in the community."

As a San Francisco native, Olivia graduated from San Andreas Continuation High School before moving on to attend Humboldt State University where she earned her Bachelors of Social Work degree. From there Olivia gave back to the local community by working in resource and special education until she was accepted into the MSW Advanced Standing program at the University of Washington.

The following is what Olivia had to say when announced as the winner:

"I am beyond grateful to have been awarded this generous scholarship and would like to thank The Higgins Firm. I will be putting The Judge Bill Higgins Public Service Scholarship funds towards my tuition at University of Washington where I recently began my master’s in social work with a concentration in health.

I will be interning in a behavioral health hospital and this scholarship will help me as I work towards my goal of becoming a clinical social worker. I would also like to acknowledge my parents for always being my biggest support system, encouraging me to challenge myself, and teaching me the importance of generosity, respect, and empathy."

We at the Higgins Law Firm wish Olivia, and the rest of our applicants, the best of luck on this upcoming school year.