2005 Young Adult Leadership Award Results
Each year since 1987, the Women's Forum has honored a young North
Carolinian between the ages of 18 and 35, who has demonstrated
leadership
in improving
the
lives
of North Carolinians, especially female. The Forum is pleased to announce
2005 YALA finalists and the award recipient. Congratulations to all
of these exceptional young women.
More about the awards.
YALA Winner for 2005
Lorrin Freeman is an Assistant Attorney General in the
NC Department of Justice. She serves as counsel for the NC Criminal Justice
Education and Training Standards Commission which certifies law enforcement
officers across the state. Prior to this Lorrin was a Research and Policy
Assistant for the NC Sentencing Commission. She researched the effectiveness
of rehabilitation efforts in the prison system and co-authored a study
of disparate treatment within the criminal justice system.
While in law school Lorrin played a lead role in shaping changes in
the NC Juvenile Justice system. She researched and co-authored Better
Representation for Juveniles: Juvenile Law in North Carolina.. This
was used as the training document for a continuing education legal seminar
on juvenile representation in delinquency and abuse/neglect situations.
Lorrin was a key organizer for this seminar, including obtaining speakers.
When the NC Bar Association started the Juvenile Justice and Children’s
Rights Section, she served on the section’s first executive council.
As a Wake County Assistant District Attorney she became the first chief
juvenile prosecutor for the county and handled all juvenile delinquency
proceedings. Lorrin worked with the Chief District Court Judge to establish
Teen Court and the Juvenile Drug Court to find innovative ways of treating
juveniles in trouble.
Lorrin served on the Board of Wake Teen Medical Services,
which provides comprehensive medical services on a sliding fee scale
to Wake county teens. A large number of teens receiving these services
were females. As the Wake County Chair for a major political party she
encouraged and supported women and minority candidates. Presently she serves
as a Board member for Friends of the Archives and a member of the City
of Raleigh Human Relations Commission
She received a BA degree with highest
honors in International Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and is a graduate
of UNC Chapel Hill law school.
YALA Finalists for 2005
Kelly T. Ennslin is a federal court judicial law clerk.
Kelly started serving her community as an advocate for domestic violence
victims and has maintained her focus on working for victims within the
legal system. She was appointed a Magistrate in District Court prior to
entering law school. During her first year at NC Central University Law
School she proposed a Domestic Violence Legal Clinic be formed. She researched
funding and wrote and received federal and state grants to establish the
clinic. As a result over 30 students at NCCU have received a Domestic Violence
Law course and a Continuing Legal Education Program on Domestic Violence
was presented to over 80 practicing attorneys across the state. In addition,
many women and their families have received free legal assistance from
the clinic.
Kelly was a Criminal Justice major at Mt. Olive College and was graduated Summa
Cum Laude from NCCU School of Law. She passed the NC State bar exam
and has served as the Managing Editor of the NCCU Law Journal in 2004-05.
She was the recipient of the Floyd McKissick Award for Leadership and
Scholarship. Kelly has served on the Boards of Directors for Family Violence
and Rape Crisis Services and Chatham County Together.
Fawn H. Pattison is the Executive Director of the NC Agriculture
Resources Center (ARC). She was hired as the sole employee with
the charge to rejuvenate the organization and move it forward. Four and
a half years later the organization has relocated to Raleigh to be near
the lawmakers and regulators, tripled the total revenues of the organization
and increased the staff to 3 employees plus a summer intern. She has
published two major reports relating to pesticides, established a toll
free bilingual hotline for citizens to report exposure to pesticide drift,
helped build a coalition to support the School Children’s Health
Act and developed a web site to educate the public about health risks
associated with pesticides and alternatives to their use. She serves
on several Boards dealing with various phases of pest management
In addition, Fawn is part of a performance art/activist group working
to inspire and assist citizens to put their political sentiments into written
communication to elected officials. She founded a group that raised $1300
for a Brazilian women’s cooperative that helps young girls stay out
of prostitution.
Fawn was graduated summa cum laude from the U of VA and received
an MA from UNC-Chapel Hill. She holds a certificate of management from
the Duke University Certificate Program in Non-Profit Management.
Katie Kasben is a director, actor and volunteer. Her
most recent project was to bring a revival of the rock musical HAIR to
the stage in Asheville to provide a forum to discuss current critical political
issues and it was a sell out.
Katie participated as a faculty advisor and leadership workshop instructor
in the National Young Leaders Conference in DC in 2003.
Katie received her BA in Women’s Studies from UNC Chapel Hill.
During her college years she interned with the NC Council for Women, served
as a member of the Women’s Issues Network and as a delegate to the
first annual Feminist Majority Foundation in DC. Working in Americorps
she created a women’s study program for girls in the Mission District
of San Francisco.
She received her MA in International Communications from Macquarie University
in Sydney , Australia . While there Katie was the only American and female
delegate representing Afghanistan at a Model United Nations conference
in Melbourne . At this conference she sponsored a resolution that passed
and won the “Best and Fairest Committee” award
Marisol Jimenez McGee is the
Advocacy Director and Registered Lobbyist for El Pueblo, Inc. She is responsible
for analyzing legislative policies that impact the Latino community on
both the state and federal levels. In addition, she develops the annual
Latino Legislative Agenda providing the state and federal policy makers
with research-based policy recommendations. El Pueblo Inc. has won national
local and regional awards for their advocacy initiative under her leadership.
Marisol directed a statewide Latino youth leadership program, focusing
on tobacco prevention and funded by the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund
Commission. She coordinated a three day lobbying trip to DC for staff,
volunteers and youth leaders of El Pueblo including preparing policy papers.
Marisol did her undergraduate work at Loyola University of Chicago. She
received her MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2005 she served on the planning
committee for the first-ever Women of Color Legislative Day at the NC General
Assembly and on the Wake County Women’s Agenda Assembly committee.
In 2005 Marisol has presented papers on social justice issues in immigration
at Wake Forest University and for the NC Museum of History’s symposium.
She was invited to speak about Latino youth to the NC Association of High
School Counselors.
| YALA Committee |
YALA Judges |
Mary Peterson, Chair
Delores Parker
Annette Hawkins
|
Angela Baylis, 2004 YALA winner
Arlene McKay, Business and Professional Women of North Carolina
JoAnn Norris, Women's Forum member |
|
