The Inspiration Project
The legal industry’s first inspiration-focused employee wellness program, designed to increase egagement and enrich the firm's culture.
Through Seyfarth Life, our Inspiration Project provides $4,000 scholarships to six Seyfarth employees to pursue inspirational projects focused on health, wellness, lifelong learning, or making an impact in the firm’s communities.
Through an application process, two partners, two non-partner attorneys, and two professional staff members are selected as scholarship recipients. Seyfarth’s Inspiration Project scholars document their respective journeys by sharing photos, videos, stories, and testimonials from their Inspiration Projects as they were completed. Thus, the organization enjoys maximum impact by sharing in experiences and adventures that enrich the firm’s culture.
The Inspiration Project is championed by the leaders of the Seyfarth Life steering committee and endorsed by the firm’s executive committee. In collaboration, they designed the contours of this new scholarship program but encouraged firm employees to be creative in what types of activities they applied to receive funding. Applicants provide their own mini-proposals, which are vetted by the Seyfarth Life steering committee and executive committee for selection.
In 2019, our first class of Inspiration Project scholars touched communities around the globe and their colleagues with aspirational stories and shared experiences:
- Wiktoria Bochenska, Lead Database Applications Administrator, Chicago. Attended the "Infinite Possibilities Spiritual Retreat” with Dr. Deepak Chopra.
- Michelle Gergerian, Partner, Labor & Employment, Boston. Traveled to Serre, Italy for two weeks to explore her family’s history and origins after recently discovering her family roots in this small town commune.
- Hannah Jackson, Associate, Real Estate, Atlanta. Attended a weeklong health and wellness retreat including yoga sessions, fitness classes, nutrition seminars, and guided meditations that teach various strategies for coping with stress and anxiety.
- Hillary Massey, Associate, Labor & Employment, Boston. Funded a scholarship and school supplies for girls in Nkolemfumu, Zambia, working with her host family from the Peace Corps 20 years ago to assist local students.
- Gena Usenheimer, Partner, Labor & Employment, New York. Partnered with the Florida League of Women Voters to help contact and register a new group of 1.4 million Floridians who regained the right to vote effective January 8, 2019.
- Diana Pedersen, Senior Conflicts Attorney, Chicago. Traveled to New Orleans with her two daughters for a weeklong volunteering trip to rebuild the city with the organization Youth Rebuilding New Orleans.
