Two Harvard Law School (HLS) first-years, Erin N. Jackson and Valarie Hays, were presented with a $10,000 scholarship from the Golden Key National Honor Society at the beginning of this academic year.

Golden Key is a nonprofit, academic honors organization with chapters at 260 colleges and universities throughout the world. The society honored seven graduate students last fall for their undergraduate achievements.

Hays, a summa cum laude graduate in political science and speech communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, won the award through her devotion to children and law.

"It was an honor for me to get it. I was very happy," Hays said. She said the money will go to further her education at HLS.

While maintaining a 3.99 grade-point average (GPA), Hays served as a two-year president of the university's chapter of the Golden Key, focusing much of their community service on tutoring children through the local Girls and Boys Clubs.

She created her own organization, Keeping Innocent Dependents Safe (KIDS), to help economically disadvantaged children in her community.

"I'll never forget how those kids touched me," she said.

Hays said she remembers playing a game where one of their little girls won a watch in a contest.

"She ran around showing everyone how great she thought it was. But during the next game, a boy in a wheelchair did not win a prize and the little girl gave her new watch to him," Hays said.

Hays said she was touched to learn that although the girl had so little she was willing to give the watch up to someone she thought was more deserving.

Throughout her undergraduate career, Hays worked with children, and she continues to do so today, through the Law School's Tenant Advocacy Program.

Last summer, Hays was an assistant to Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

Jackson came to HLS from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) at Amherst, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in political science and women's studies.

"I think the award signifies a culmination of different goals," she said. "It represents not only academic achievement but also community service and leadership qualities."

Among a number of activities, Jackson coordinated the events for UMass' AIDS Awareness Day, ran food drives for the Amherst soup kitchen, hosted an annual holiday dinner for poor families and solicited corporate grants to pay for toys for children.

During her college career, Jackson said she tired to maintain a balance between a healthy body and a healthy mind. In addition to earning a 3.98 GPA and the William F. Field Alumni Scholar distinction, she also founded the UMass-Amherst women's rugby team.

"I was very busy but you make time for the things you want to do," she said.

Harvard College does not currently have a Golden Key chapter. An official with Golden Key said the organization is making efforts to establish one.