A $2,500 scholarship from Austin-based law firm Bertolino LLP has been awarded to Ajok "Jolie" Bul, a student whose winning video argues that the legal line between cosmetics and drugs may not survive the next 50 years. The firm announced the 2026 Impact in Government Scholarship award on October 27, 2026.
The scholarship invited applicants to answer one of two prompts. Bul chose to respond to: "What do you see in the law today that will be obsolete in 2075 and why?" Her video, "When Beauty Becomes Medicine," focuses on a regulatory contradiction: South Korea regulates sunscreen as a functional cosmetic, while the United States classifies it as an over-the-counter drug. As biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and personalized skincare advance, Bul argues that this legal distinction may not hold.
The implications extend beyond sunscreen. If products that blur the line between cosmetic enhancement and medical treatment become common, the current U.S. framework—which separates cosmetics from drugs—could face significant pressure. Bul's argument suggests that regulators may need to rethink how they categorize products that combine beauty and health functions, a shift that could affect everything from product approval pathways to advertising rules and safety standards.
Bul brought firsthand experience to the topic. She founded Nile Glow, a social-impact skincare initiative that supports fair-wage employment for young women in South Sudan, giving her a practical understanding of the beauty industry. "When I encountered the prompt asking what law today might be obsolete by 2075, I immediately thought of the inconsistency in how a product as simple as sunscreen is regulated," Bul said. "That contradiction became the foundation for my video."
The selection committee also cited Bul's broader achievements. She is one of 11 students in the NexPoint John G. Tower Scholars Program, a competitive four-year interdisciplinary cohort focused on global economic systems and policy analysis. She was the only Tower Scholar to conduct original research on U.S.-Japan trade relations, which she presented at the Sun & Star Business and Geopolitics Symposium co-hosted with Kwansei Gakuin University. She is also a Gerald & Gail Turner Scholar and serves as Director of Programming for the Association of Black Students, where she increased freshman meeting attendance by more than 60 percent.
Her other accomplishments include work as a Brand & Marketing Outreach Intern for HANDS International in partnership with UNICEF, helping generate more than $150,000 in international funding to support more than 20 girls displaced by conflicts in the Middle East. She volunteers with Hope Farm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and the SMU African Student Association.
The $2,500 scholarship will support Bul's studies in Economics with Financial Applications, with minors in Public Policy & International Affairs and Business Administration. She plans to pursue a career at the intersection of business, government, and international development.
Bertolino LLP, an Austin-based law firm that has defended thousands of Texas licensed professionals since 2003, uses the scholarship to encourage forward-thinking analysis of government regulation. Students interested in next year's award can find eligibility criteria and application details on the scholarship's terms and conditions page, and more information about the firm is available at Bertolino LLP.
