Celestial Summer Dove Cassman Scholarship for Ending Violence Against Women

We invite you to help us honor the memory of Celestial Summer Dove Cassman, graduate of UC Davis School of Law, Class of 2004, by supporting the Celestial Summer Dove Cassman Scholarship for Ending Violence Against Women. The purpose is twofold. First, we wish to recognize a core value in Celestial’s life—the goal of ensuring access to resources and support institutions for the most vulnerable amongst us who face challenges that undermine their quality of life. In law school, Celestial studied how race, gender, and economic status influenced student experiences, and she published an article on the topic. Celestial was an active member of the King Hall Legal Foundation, and she also served as a mentor for elementary school students who came from Angola. As a young professional, Celestial was active in fund-raising for and served on the Board of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Santa Cruz County—an organization devoted to providing advocacy, stability, and hope to children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. The second purpose is to reinforce our lasting memory of Celestial as beloved friend, colleague, and family member—her beautiful smile, radiant spirit, and joy of life itself. And to fight against the domestic violence that took her life.

This Scholarship will provide support to a 2nd or 3rd year law student who demonstrates a commitment to advocacy for vulnerable families or for victims or survivors of violence against women. “Vulnerable families” is defined to include (1) women who have experienced or are experiencing intimate partner violence; (2) children who have experienced or are experiencing neglect or abuse or who are otherwise wards of the state; and (3) families that are economically vulnerable. The Scholarship will be awarded to a student based on merit and financial need; preference will be given to a student who is self-supporting and requires student loans to attend law school.

Scholarship funds have been growing steadily and currently provide one scholarship per year. Our goal is to raise sufficient funds to provide two $7,500 scholarships each year, indexed for inflation. Please join us in supporting this memorial and the cause it represents.

We welcome all who wish to join in this endeavor, and ask your support by making a gift to the Celestial Summer Dove Cassman Scholarship for Ending Violence Against Women.