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At 20, Cal State L.A.’s Phi Kappa Phi fellow
on his way to law school
Altadena business major, one of only 60 honored nationwide,
named as this year’s Kathleen Greey Fellow
Los Angeles, CA – Cal State L.A. business major Andrew Jick (Altadena, CA resident) is one of only 60 students nationwide to be awarded a prestigious Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Graduate Fellowship for the 2008-2009 academic year. In receiving the $5,000 award, Jick becomes the tenth Cal State L.A. student in the past 11 years to be selected for the Phi Kappa Phi graduate fellowship.
Jick was also singled out as this year’s Phi Kappa Phi Kathleen Greey Fellow.
Jick—who completed his bachelor’s degree in business with a prelegal option and minors in Economics and English last year—will begin attending the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in the fall. He plans to pursue a career in corporate litigation. He was also admitted to law schools at Cornell University, Georgetown University, UCLA, USC, and the University of Virginia.
Jick, now 20, took advantage of Cal State L.A.’s Early Entrance Program to start college early—at age 14. EEP admits extraordinarily gifted youngsters—some as young as 11—directly into college, providing the early entrants with monitored evaluation, regular counseling sessions, and the opportunity to study with like-minded peers.
Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest and largest national honor society dedicated to the recognition and promotion of academic excellence in all fields of higher education. Its fellowships are based on applicants’ undergraduate academic performance; leadership and service on the campus and in the community; evidence of graduate potential; a personal statement of educational purpose; and performance, citizenship and character.
Michael Calabrese, professor of English at Cal State L.A., said Jick is “ever inquisitive and always eager to learn… a classroom leader, generous with his classmates and an exemplar for them.”
A National Dean’s List student, Jick is a member of the Cal State L.A. chapters of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. His accolades include the 2002-03 General Education Honors Student of the Year Award; CSULA’s Alumni Association 2005-06 and 2006-07 Undergraduate Alumni Scholarships; and the 2006 Golden Eagle Award of Excellence.
At Cal State L.A., Jick served as an undergraduate academic senator and a College of Business and Economics representative for the Associated Students, Inc. As a member of the CSULA Forensic Team, he won several awards at intercollegiate speech debate tournaments.
Off campus, he interned with judges from the Los Angeles Superior Court, volunteered at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, and worked as a legal assistant for an estate-planning attorney. He also studied Spanish in Madrid, Spain, for two months.
Jick was most recently volunteering with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles at the Inner City Law Center. He was instrumental in developing the research and strategy needed to create an organization that will assist military veterans incarcerated at Soledad prison in Monterey, CA, who are suffering from physical and emotional difficulties.
According to Rick D. Little, director of the Bill Smith Homeless Veterans Project at the Inner City Law Center, “Andrew was responsible for determining the process whereby incarcerated veterans can potentially charter a federally-recognized organization.”
He added, “Andrew’s research helped address how the inextricably intertwined dynamics involved in ‘marrying’ both state and federal agency interests could benefit not only prison inmates, but also both state and federal agencies involved.”
William G. Wais, an attorney for whom Jick’s had worked as a legal assistant, said, “Of all Andrew’s characteristics, the ones which I valued most were his good attitude and his diligent work ethic.”
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