2027 College Scholarship Contest!

Our law firm would like to help make your life a little easier as you pursue your education! That is why we are pleased to offer Tobin Injury Law’s Annual CHAI x 66 Scholarship.

As Atlanta personal injury attorneys, we get to help people. Our job is to help individuals who are going through a tough time. This scholarship is aimed at helping a student pay for his or her education so that one day that student has the knowledge to help someone else who is going through a tough time. With that hope in mind, we are we pleased to offer our CHAI x 66 Scholarship.

What does “CHAI x 66” mean?

The word “chai” is a Hebrew word that means “life”.  Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The value of the letters in the word “chai” add up to the number 18.

Next, the generally accepted age of retirement, at least according to the Social Security Administration, is 66. So for many people, the idea is you work until 66 before you can retire.

The concept of this scholarship is that during your career, you should endeavor to do good and help.  So, take the numerical value of the Hebrew word for life “chai”, 18, multiply it by the age that you will likely retire from your career, i.e. 66, and you get $1,188! This scholarship will pay $1,188 toward your education at any accredited college, university, or graduate school.

How much is the Scholarship?

The CHAI x 66 Scholarship will pay $1,188 toward your education at an accredited college, university, or graduate school.

Who can apply?

Any student who is enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate program anywhere in the United States.

What do you need to do to apply?

1. Email a copy of your unofficial transcript to cheryl@tobininjurylaw.com
2. Write an essay of ~750 words explaining what you are studying and what you are planning on doing with your education that will help others. As part of your essay, explain what the Hebrew word “CHAI” means to you.
3. Attach to your email at least one photograph of you studying something or engaging in an activity that is enriching to you.

What are the guidelines?

1. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2027.
2. The winner will be announced by August 1, 2027.
3. Please email your submission to cheryl@tobininjurylaw.com

Ben Zoma says: Who is wise? He who learns from every person. – Pirkei Avot 4:1 

Education comes in all shapes and from all sources. Everyone has something to teach. A key to growth is being open to learning from all different types of people.

This year’s 2026 CHAI x 66 Scholarship Recipient:

With more applicants than ever before, our team spent hundreds of hours reviewing the more than 1,000 scholarship applications we were honored to receive before narrowing the field to just a handful of finalists. (You read that correctly! We received over 1,000 applications—over 200 more than in 2025!)

There were so many outstanding and deserving students who applied, and we sincerely thank every applicant for taking the time to share their story with us.

With that said, we are proud to announce that the recipient of our firm’s 2026 Scholarship is Ava Shubinsky. Congratulations, Ava! Ava is a first-year student at Temple University, studying History with the goal of becoming a high school history teacher.  We love what Ava wrote in her application: “In the end, my education is not only about achieving my own goals. It is about using what I learn to help others. As a teacher, I will have the privilege of influencing the lives of young people, guiding them to see their own worth, and inspiring them to make positive contributions to the world.”

Previous Scholarship Recipients:

Last year we received almost 800 applications, 100 more than in the previous year of 2024, and choosing a winner from the very talented pool of applicants was not easy. Matthew impressed us with his charity project called Growing for Good, which he started in 2019, to cultivate fresh vegetables in home gardens for those less fortunate than himself. Since starting this project, he has expanded his garden beyond the length of his house, to include land allocated to him at his school and place of worship.  Through Growing for Good, Matthew donated hundreds of pounds of fresh vegetables to local food pantries.  He spoke at libraries, his school district and places of worship to educate others, providing them with seeds to start their own gardens.  Matthew is now attending Brandeis College.

The 2024 recipient of our scholarship was Karine Grutman. Karine is studying at the University of Central Florida.  The oldest of 7 children and having experienced some family hardship, Karine is a shining example of someone who is making a better life for herself and others. One of the impressive actions that stood out about Karine is that during a time where so many students experienced anti-Semitism on campus, Karine vocally and proudly stood up as a Jewess.  In her words: “To me, the word ‘CHAI’ signifies vitality and resilience. I proudly wear my ‘Am Israel Chai’ bracelet every day, serving as a reminder of our enduring spirit.”

The 2023 winner was Elliot Rose of Chicago, Illinois. Elliot is enrolled in law school at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Prior to attending law school, he was a firefighter and a police officer for many years. He is married with a family. Of the 300+ applications, Elliot was one of our oldest students who applied last year, but the dedication he described in his essay to his family, his community, and to the  neighbors in Chicago won him the scholarship! Congratulations to Elliot, and thank you to all of the incredibly gifted women and men who applied for our personal injury scholarship.

The 2022 winner of Tobin Injury Law’s Annual Chai x 66 Scholarship Award was UC Berkeley’s Ben Davis. We received hundreds of applications from some remarkable students across the nation all of whom deserved to have won. Ben’s commitment to charity, performing kind deeds, and his desire to use his education to improve the world made him stand out.

The 2021 winner of our annual scholarship was Jessie Weeks.  Jessie graduated from Weber State University in Utah and is studying law at the University of Utah Law School.  She has dreams of pursuing a career in law fighting for people who have physical and mental disabilities.

The very first winner was from 2020: Phillip A. Korth.  Phillip graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and at the time was studying medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  Because he was the first recipient of our scholarship, we have included portions of Phillip’s inspiring submission here.

This contest is brought to you by Atlanta accident lawyer Darren Tobin.