Jordan Aiken receives inaugural Darmer Equality Scholarship
A month before starting classes at UCI Law, Jordan Aiken was already demonstrating the high caliber of the incoming Class of 2016. In July, Aiken was named the inaugural recipient of the M. Katherine Baird Darmer Equality Scholarship, presented by the Orange County Lavender Bar Association, the Orange County Equality Coalition and private donors. The Darmer Scholarship recognizes a current or incoming law student who shares the vision of the late Chapman Law professor, a well-known advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights.
Aiken, a graduate of UC Berkeley, is similarily described as a go-getter advocate who seeks solutions and action in the LGBT community. Her activism for gay inclusion and gender identity was sparked during her work at a New Orleans women's homeless shelter, where she met trans-women who were not allowed access to men's or women's shelters. She continued her advocacy work at the Louisiana Civil Justice Center, during which she decided to go to law school. She was chosen for one of the UCI Law Public Service Fellowships and hopes to work with the UCI School of Medicine to develop a program to help transgender individuals access medical resources. Read more about Aiken and the Darmer award in this news feature (PDF).