GOLDLAW CEO Craig Goldenfarb Announces Recipients of Third Annual EMSHE Scholarships
Craig Goldenfarb, Esq., founder and CEO of GOLDLAW in West Palm Beach, Florida, is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Emanuel McMiller Scholarship for Higher Education (EMSHE), which is awarded to seniors and alumni of The Gerald A. Williams Center for Pre-Law at Palm Beach Lakes Community High School as they apply and matriculate to college and/or law school.
An awards ceremony occurred at GOLDLAW in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, May 31, where Emanuel McMiller was in attendance to make the award presentations.
This year’s $10,000 award, donated by GOLDLAW, will be split between three outstanding alumni of the Center for Pre-Law:
Ijahala Pottinger (awarded $5,000) is currently a 1L at Columbia Law School, where she anticipates graduating in 2026 with a Juris Doctor degree. Pottinger is a graduate (Class of 2020) of Brown University and an alumnus (Class of 2016) of the Center for Pre-Law. Pottinger was very active in the Center for Pre-Law, serving as a mock trial team member, Law Honor Society President, and Lead Prosecuting Youth Court Attorney. Pottinger is also a 2023 EMSHE Award Recipient.
Andre’Anna Hodges (awarded $4,000) is a Senior (Class of 2024) at Palm Beach Lakes and will be attending Florida Atlantic University this Fall where she anticipates graduating in 2028 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Hodges is very active in the Center for Pre-Law, serving as a mock trial team member, Law Club member, and Youth Court Attorney.
Miriam Vidaurre-Zarate (awarded $1,000) is currently a junior at Florida International University where she anticipates graduating in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Vidaurre-Zarate is an alumnus (Class of 2021) of the Center for Pre-Law. Vidaurre-Zarate was very active in the Center for Pre-Law, serving as mock trial captain, moot court attorney, Law Club President, Law Honor Society President, and a Youth Court attorney. She is also a 2022 and 2023 EMSHE Award Recipient.
The scholarship is named for Emanuel McMiller, a former employee of Goldenfarb’s law firm, and an alumnus (Class of 2010) of the Center for Pre-Law at Palm Beach Lakes Community High School. Emanuel earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 2019 and is now a business litigation associate at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emanuel, a first-generation lawyer, credits the faculty, staff, and supporters of the Center for Pre-Law for giving him a head-start in developing the critical skills necessary to achieve success in law school and the legal profession. “This young man is just such a fantastic person, and it’s really an honor that he has allowed me to be a part of his journey,” says Goldenfarb. “Emanuel has inspired me in so many ways, including my decision to make this scholarship commitment that will benefit students just like him for years to come.”
The primary goals of EMSHE are: (1) to strengthen the diversity pipeline to the legal profession (and help unsupported and/or under-resourced students to be more competitive); and (2) to help recipients establish a support system to guide them on their journey to the legal profession.
To learn more information about the scholarship and this year’s recipients, please visit the EMSHE website at https://www.emshe.org.