Achieving My Potential Scholarship

At Ghanouni Teen & Young Adult Defense Firm, our mission is to ensure young generations achieve their full potential, regardless of past mistakes. As a criminal and juvenile defense law firm we believe that a mistake should not ruin your life. We are proud to announce our 2026 Achieving My Potential Scholarship to hear from students who went through the juvenile justice system or criminal justice system.

For this scholarship, we want to hear how students moved past their experience and how winning this scholarship would help them to achieve their full potential. Going through the juvenile or criminal justice system as a young adult can be scary, and the experience can fill peoples’ heads with doubt and confusion. We know that it can be challenging to leave that experience with positivity about one’s future. However, we believe people have a right to overcome their past and move forward.

Our firm understands that being accused as a teen or young adult has long-term implications that can carry on in their lifetime, and we would like to do what we can to help those trying to better themselves. Our $1,000 Achieving My Potential Scholarship is intended to shed light on stories of those who went through the juvenile justice system or criminal justice system and how they have turned their lives around, seeking a brighter future.

Scholarship Eligibility:

Applicants for our 2026 Achieving My Potential Scholarship must be enrolled in a trade school, undergraduate, graduate program, or any other post-secondary school within the United States. High school seniors who will be enrolled in a trade school or college before the application deadline of February 27, 2026, are also encouraged to apply. Applicants must be in good academic standing and have a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent for their program).

Application Requirements:

To be considered for this scholarship opportunity, a full application must include:

• An updated resumé listing academic, professional, and volunteer experiences
• A current or your most recent official or unofficial academic transcript. If you are a high school senior, you must also submit proof of acceptance to your college, university, trade school, or post-secondary school.
• A 750-1,000-word essay describing your experience of the juvenile or criminal justice system and how you are moving forward. Share with us how winning this scholarship can help you achieve your full potential.

Application Deadline and Instructions:

All scholarship criteria must be submitted either on or before the deadline of February 27, 2026. Applications submitted after the February 27th deadline will not be considered eligible.

Please send your application to Community@TeenAndYoungAdultDefense.com with the subject line: “[Applicant’s First and Last Name] – 2026 Achieving My Potential Scholarship” to be considered.

If you have any questions regarding this scholarship opportunity, please send them to Community@TeenAndYoungAdultDefense.com.

In our effort to help inspire others, please note that by submitting your scholarship application, you consent to the Ghanouni Teen & Young Adult Defense Firm in the use of your submitted information in your application in publicizing the Achieving My Potential Scholarship.

Thank you for your interest in our Achieving My Potential Scholarship! To learn about our past recipients, visit our scholarship winners page.