Campbell Law’s Jennifer Cardenas ’28 receives 2025–26 HLSA scholarship 

RALEIGH – Campbell Law School’s Hispanic Law Student Association (HLSA) executive board members have chosen Jennifer Cardenas ‘28 as the 2025–2026 Semillas de Justicia Scholarship recipient.

The $500 scholarship is sponsored by the Law Office of Cynthia González PLLC in Elkin. González has generously committed to supporting the scholarship on an annual basis, said HLSA President Brooke Salgado ‘26. González, whose aim is to help future attorneys, is the mother of current law student Joshua González ’27, who serves as the HLSA Treasurer.

Cardenas was chosen to receive the scholarship because of her intentional leadership in creating inclusive spaces and amplifying underrepresented voices, from advocating for language access and structural change on the farmworker ministry board to her broader efforts connecting marginalized communities with resources and representation. Now serving as Community Outreach Chair on the HLSA Executive Board, Cardenas continues to lead authentically despite imposter syndrome, demonstrating a consistent commitment to building belonging wherever she goes.

Cardenas was among a group of Campbell Law students who joined Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) last semester to serve clients in Johnston County with advanced directive and power of attorney preparation. With the help of the Community & Senior Services of Johnston County, the  group was able to work from and meet clients at the Harrison Center for Active Aging in Selma.

The summer scholarship is intended for “a student who has exemplified courage in the face of adversity.” Students who apply for the scholarship have to write an essay explaining what they can do to make Campbell Law a more inclusive place, Salgado said.

Cardenas said she is truly honored to receive the scholarship and to be part of such a great organization. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue creating inclusive spaces at Campbell Law,” she added.

Prior to law school, Cardenas earned her bachelor’s degree from University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNC-W). She worked as a legislative assistant for North Carolina State Sen. Wiley Nickel (D-16th District) and then for Nickel after he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in his 13th District Office as a constituent advocate, outreach and grants coordinator.

ABOUT CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL

Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 5,000 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2026, Campbell Law is celebrating 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.