ECAP HISTORY

We are excited to report on Houston Young Lawyers Association’s new committee, which will support the Early College Awareness Project (“ECAP”). ECAP seeks to reduce the achievement gap by mentorship of academically promising underrepresented minority (“URM”) high school students. ECAP mentors support mentees and encourage them to plan their high school academic and extracurricular lives in hopes that they become competitive college applicants.  The program is co-sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine (“BCM”), the Harvard Club of Houston, and the Rice University Center for Education.  Through the ECAP Committee, HYLA is also a partner in this new and valuable program. HYLA’s involvement will allow young lawyers to join professionals from other organizations in mentoring and meeting with ECAP students at events several times each year. 

The first ECAP event co-chaired by HYLA’s ECAP Committee was held at Vinson & Elkins, LLP on November 17, 2007.  The event provided a forum in which the student mentees could meet with their mentors, participate in enrichment activities, hear from speakers regarding various career paths open to them and tour Vinson & Elkins. Speakers at the event included Dona Murphey—ECAP Founder, Justice Eva Guzman—14^th Court of Appeals, Dr. Gloria Oramasionwu—Texas Children's Hospital, and Megan Walsh—ExxonMobil Gas & Power Marketing. The students also enjoyed an ice cream social at the end of the event during which they met with their mentors and socialized with the speakers and other volunteers. A great time was had by all!

HYLA’s ECAP Committee recently co-chaired a second ECAP event at Baylor College of Medicine on May 10, 2008. This event provided an opportunity for both lawyer and non-lawyer mentors to meet with students from Sharpstown International High School and Stevenson Middle School.  Debra Baker, founding partner of the Houston-based law firm of Connelly, Baker, Wotring LLP, was the keynote speaker at the event. Ms. Baker’s inspirational speech emphasized that the students are capable of pursuing any career path they wish if they are willing to work diligently and highlighted the importance education plays in any career path, including the legal profession in particular. Other speakers at the event included Dr. Brian Reed, the Medical Director at Gulfgate Health Center and Assistant Professor at BCM in the Family and Community Medicine Department, Milton Thibodeaux, Project Director for the Houston Minority Business Enterprise Center, and Dr. Monique Ogletree, Director of Texas Children’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Anesthesiology Research Laboratory and Assistant Professor of Pediatric Cardiovascular Anesthesiology at BCM. Students participated in various activities to prepare them for the college application process, including an SAT preview and an information session that educated students about financial aid, scholarships, and the importance of community involvement. The event concluded with a social hour during which students enjoyed meeting informally with the mentors, speakers, and volunteers. The event had a great turnout and was a huge success! We would like to thank our HYLA volunteers, Evangeline M. Mitchell and Thomas McCasland, as well as the Texas Young Lawyers Association for the generous grant that helped make this event possible.

If you are interested in joining the ECAP Committee or would like to attend or volunteer to assist with an upcoming ECAP event, please contact Emily Pipkin Blackwell (eblackwell@velaw.com), Tom McCasland (tmccasland@velaw.com) or Erin O’Driscoll (eodriscoll@morganlewis.com).

CURRENT ECAP NEWS