Amy Maitner is the recipient of the 2015 Eleanor Roosevelt Women’s Studies Scholarship Award. Maitner is a junior majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Women’s Studies. She lives her life led by her passion for women’s rights and social justice activism.

She has developed three UCF service-learning projects including a Blue Jeans for True Genes jeans drive event, a human trafficking exhibit, and an eating disorder prevention and awareness course for UCF students, faculty and staff. She also attended two Alternative Spring Break trips centered on women’s issues, with one at a domestic violence shelter for young girls, and another in Charleston for sexual human trafficking awareness work. She is the president of the UCF Registered Student Organization Project HEAL, a non-profit that acts as a support system for individuals recovering from eating disorders, as well as raises money for those who cannot afford treatment.

Maitner said this regarding the LEAD Scholars Academy, “Through the program I gained confidence and awareness of myself, which later grew into many different leadership roles.

She also stated, “Women’s Studies is not just a minor to me; it is a passion. I plan to continue my schooling through law school, where I hope to gain the skills to become a civil rights attorney, particularly representing women and human trafficking victims.”