UC HASTINGS LAW — When she was growing up, Debra Bogaards ‘81 remembers her family’s Friday night Shabbat dinners included donating to a favorite charity each week. The Jewish idea of Tzedakah, a Hebrew word that is used to refer to charity or philanthropy, stuck with her as she grew up. She said, “It taught me as a young girl we were responsible for others.” Bogaards has carried that value into her adult life, volunteering on non-profit boards, mentoring students at her alma mater UC Hastings College of the Law, and donating to causes that are important to her. She currently serves as the UC Hastings Foundation Board President, and her daughter Danielle ’16, is on the Board of Governors for the UC Hastings Alumni Association. This month, Bogaards announced she is funding a new scholarship for law students, who value giving back to the community.Beginning in Fall 2022, UC Hastings law students will be able to apply for the “Debra F. Bogaards ’81 True Mensch Scholarship Endowment,“ which will be awarded based on academic performance and a personal essay written by the student about what they’ve done in their lives to help others or pay good deeds forward. “It can be the student’s focus in law, service, or volunteer work in their community, or simply helping another human being,” the scholarship guidelines explain. Bogaards said she chose the Yiddish word “mensch” because it refers to someone who is a good person, and who acts with integrity. “It’s the highest you can achieve in life,” she said. “It really means giving back.”