Michael Weiner Scholarship Recipient Spotlight: Sarah David Heydemann

The Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies is keeping the late Player Association executive director’s legacy alive through people like recipient Sarah David Heydemann and the work they will continue to do on behalf of union workers.

“From what I’ve learned about him, it seems like Michael had a deep care and commitment to building community while doing the work. I hope to be the same kind of advocate – one who pays attention not only to the fight at hand but to more intentional, lasting community building,” Heydemann said recently.

A Montclair, N.J. native, Heydemann is a current student at Northeastern University School of Law who has previously worked for the National Guestworker Alliance of the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice as well as the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University.

However, Heydemann was drawn to the labor movement during her high school years assisting with many different kinds of struggles from women’s rights, anti-IMF and World Bank, fair trade work, and more

“What drew me to the labor movement above all others was its universal importance,” Heydemann said. “We all work, we are all workers, we all care about dignity and a fair wage for the work we engage in. Although there is no doubt the labor movement of today faces challenges, I believe that the power of collective bargaining and our ability and desire to challenge corrupt institutions – be it the police force or predatory employers – is alive and well.”

Heydemann is currently a law clerk at Cohen, Weiss and Simon, LLP in New York City and after graduation she hopes to continue working with workers, advocates, policy makers, and community members.

”I want to be a movement lawyer, using law as a tool alongside other organizing tactics,” Heydemann said. “I know that as long as I put organizing and workers’ struggles first. I will find something really fulfilling.”

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To be eligible for the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies, individuals must be Graduate or Law Students enrolled in accredited educational institutions in the United States or Canada and must have a demonstrated interest and aspire to a career working in the labor movement and on behalf of workers’ rights.

To receive an award, eligible candidates must meet a combination of criteria including a superior academic record, a demonstrated commitment to the labor movement, a strong recommendation from an academic or a labor/worker’s rights practitioner, and an excellent display of written and oral communication skills.

Preference also is given to those who can demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) scores or otherwise.

The scholarship application for the 2016 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies will be posted in June 2015, at http://playerstrust.org/programs/michael-weiner-scholarship-labor-studies/

Click here to read about Michael Weiner Scholarship winner Akasha Perez.

Click here to read about Michael Weiner Scholarship winner Joseph Landry.

Click here to read about Michael Weiner Scholarship winner Julie Gilgoff.

Click here to read about Michael Weiner Scholarship winner John Ertl.