Freidin Brown, P.A. & SAVE Social Justice Scholarships

For the seventh consecutive year, Freidin Brown, P.A. is teaming up with SAVE to provide the 2025 Freidin Brown, P.A. & SAVE Social Justice Scholarships, which give financial support to LGBTQ+ and allied students who have strong connections to the South Florida community and are striving to lead in a field of Social Justice.

By offering $25,000 in needed financial support, Freidin Brown, P.A. and SAVE hope to give tomorrow’s social justice leaders the tools they need to excel.

Finalists will be requested to join us for a brief interview before winners are announced. Scholarships will be funded directly to each winner’s school.

General Requirements:

Applicants must have a proven record of volunteer or leadership experience either within the LGBTQ community or within another field of Social Justice.

Applicants must have completed at least two years of college or be enrolled in or accepted to a graduate program with a focus in social work, community policy, law, education, or any other relative field addressing social justice issues.

Applicants must timely complete the below application and submit the following:

• An up-to-date school transcript
• A written statement from the applicant as to how financial support will assist them in pursuing opportunities and leading in their field of social justice.
• A personal statement (500 words max.) as prompted.
• An essay (1000 words max.) that addresses one of the prompts listed below.

Applicants cannot be a past recipient of a Freidin Brown, P.A. & SAVE Social Justice Scholarship.

Applicants cannot be a past or present client of Freidin Brown, P.A.

Personal Statement Prompt:

Please share a personal statement discussing who you are, why you are applying for a Social Justice Scholarship, and how you hope to use your education to fight social injustices. (500 words or less)

Essay Prompts:

• How do you hope to use your law or graduate degree to change the world for the LGBTQ community and how would this scholarship towards your tuition change your world?
• What does Social Justice mean to you and why do you think it is important to stand up for your community?
• Show us how you translate ideas into action. Present an LGBTQ social justice issue as a statement of a problem and a proposed project that would address this problem.
• If you could resolve one area of social injustice that the LGBTQ community faces, what would it be and how would you accomplish it?
• Discuss a past experience where you encountered an injustice, how you responded, and the impact that it had on your professional goals.
• In what way has your experience as a social justice advocate affected your perception of our legal system and how has it motivated your actions and community involvement as a leader?
• Profile an LGBTQ activist in your community. Discuss one of their initiatives that has inspired you and one initiative that you would have executed differently.
• Address a legislative initiative in your community that impacts the LGBTQ population.

2025 Scholarship Recipients

Stephanie Frosch

A queer Jewish woman and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Miami whose research focuses on algorithmic bias and digital discrimination. A former plaintiff in a Title IX lawsuit against Google, she has combined advocacy and scholarship to advance equity in technology, support LGBTQ+ youth, and shape national conversations on justice and digital rights.

Emily Martinez

A third-year Doctor of Psychology student at Nova Southeastern University focused on multicultural psychology and child mental health. She researches the needs of unaccompanied immigrant minors, leads campus mental health workshops, and provides therapy for children and families. Emily aspires to become a culturally competent child psychologist offering accessible care through a group practice or private practice.

Raiden Puna

A first-generation gay Polynesian and law student at the University of Miami, Raiden is committed to using the law as a tool for justice, representation, and systemic change. He has interned with the Human Rights Campaign, advocated for AAPI history in schools, and supported LGBTQ+ communities through policy and grassroots work. As a 2L leader in APALSA and OUTLaw, he aspires to uplift marginalized communities and expand access to justice.

Rihanna Bajnath

A survivor of childhood domestic violence whose experiences inspired her lifelong pursuit of justice. Through education, poetry, nonprofit work, and student advocacy in Washington, D.C., she has committed herself to empowering underrepresented communities. Rihanna aspires to become a lawyer who restores faith in the legal system and defends those most in need.

Taylor Aguilera

A proud queer woman from the South and first-generation college student with a decade of organizing experience in Florida. Currently a senior at FIU studying Organizational Communications and working at Planned Parenthood of Florida, where she leads statewide advocacy efforts for reproductive healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights. Taylor played a key role in the 2024 Amendment 4 campaign to protect access to abortion.

About Freidin Brown, P.A. & SAVE

Freidin Brown, P.A. is a Miami-based law firm that focuses on medical negligence, complex personal injury, and whistleblower cases throughout Florida and the United States. With over a century of combined experience, our lawyers have dedicated their careers to obtaining justice for their clients. By collaborating with SAVE on the Social Justice Scholarships, the entire family at Freidin Brown, P.A. hopes to promote equality and social justice throughout our community.

Established in 1993, SAVE is Florida’s first grassroots LGBTQ advocacy organization. Their mission is to promote, protect, and defend equality for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and fighting discrimination against the LGBTQ community. SAVE Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on laying the educational groundwork that leads to policy change both within the LGBTQ community and South Florida at large.