Ten Banking Journal Editors Honored with Prestigious Scholarships

The UNC School of Law’s Center for Banking and Finance recognized the academic excellence and dedication of ten rising third-year editors of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal by awarding each a $10,000 scholarship. The presentations occurred during the annual Banking Institute, held March 27-28, 2025, at The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, which drew over 200 banking professionals, regulators, attorneys, and students. 

These scholarships, each providing $5,000 per semester beginning fall 2025, are crucial in supporting student editors as they balance the demands of their final year of law school with their editorial responsibilities for Volume 30 of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal, which they will produce during the 2025-26 academic year. The scholarships are funded by the fifty-seven firms and banks that sponsor the Banking Institute (a record number) and a generous gift from Mike (’98) and Maria Mascia.  

This year’s Banking Institute featured sessions exploring critical industry developments, including regulatory changes under the new administration, the rise of private credit, and the aftermath of fintech disruptions like the Synapse Financial Technologies collapse. The program featured the current Volume 29 of the Banking Institute Journal staff members who discussed their journal notes during three dedicated sessions. 

Jackson Fisher, who will serve as Executive Editor for Volume 30, received the Marion A. Cowell Scholarship. “This support will allow me to focus on my role as Executive Editor and my continued development in banking and finance law. Long-term, it reinforces my commitment to a legal career in the North Carolina banking system,” Fisher said. 

Fisher’s background gives him unique insight into community banking. “As the son of a community banker, I have witnessed firsthand how financial institutions drive local economies and support underserved communities,” he shared. 

Like Fisher, Sarah Campbell, who will lead Volume 30 as Editor-in-Chief, brings her own perspective shaped by family experience in the industry. “My mother has worked in the banking industry my whole life, which sparked my passion for banking and finance law,” Campbell explained. “Seeing the impact of her work on the community we lived in drove me to pursue an education in banking and finance.” 

The Mascia Family Banking Institute Scholarship provides Campbell with more than financial support. “This scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies and role as Editor-in-Chief. I hope to uphold the journal’s reputation of excellence and contribute valuable student and professional pieces to the banking and finance industry,” she said. 

The Center’s scholarship program has expanded significantly since its inception. What began with a single scholarship established in 2001 has grown to provide ten $10,000 scholarships annually, thanks to the generous support of Center board members, banking industry sponsors, and dedicated families like the Mascias. 

This year’s scholarship recipients are: 

• The Professor Lissa Broome Center for Banking and Finance Scholarship: Kristina Smith 

• The Marion A. Cowell Scholarship: Jackson Fisher 

• North Carolina Banking Institute Sponsor Scholarships: Emily Kaplan, Lauren Slack, Julian Surprise 

• The Mascia Family Banking Institute Scholarships: Sarah Campbell, Kalysta Strauss, Kallie Bergers, Jack LaFave, Bianca Serafano 

These student editors contribute significantly to the scholarly discourse on banking and finance law through the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal. Volume 29, distributed at this year’s Banking Institute, features expert analysis of current industry challenges and regulatory developments. The journal has been published continuously since 1997, establishing itself as a respected source of legal scholarship in the field. 

Professor Lissa Broome, Director of the Center for Banking and Finance, has overseen the growth of both the Banking Institute and the scholarship program. “It is incredibly rewarding to give away $100,000 in scholarships to help these students offset the cost of their third year of law school. The Banking Institute sponsors also help support grants to law students in unpaid summer internships in the public interest, such as judicial clerkships at the North Carolina Business Court of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The funds also help facilitate international summer internships arranged through our partners at the University of Tübingen in Germany. So, all told, we will be providing a little over $140,000 this year to support students through these scholarships and other efforts.”   

The Center supports the financial services industry by developing future banking and finance law leaders through education, research, and engagement with the legal and finance community. 

Support the Next Generation of Banking Law Leaders

The Banking Institute scholarships make a meaningful difference in the lives of student editors and help develop future leaders in banking and finance law. Alumni and friends interested in supporting these opportunities can contribute to the CLE Banking Institute Fund, which helps finance scholarships and summer grants for Carolina Law students.

To make a gift that will directly impact students like those featured in this story, visit the UNC Law giving page.