Austin-based law firm Bertolino LLP has awarded its 2026 Impact in Government Scholarship to Ajok "Jolie" Bul, a student whose winning video challenges a regulatory contradiction that could reshape the beauty and health industries. The $2,500 scholarship invited applicants to answer one of two prompts; Bul chose to address what law today will be obsolete in 2075 and why.
Bul's video, "When Beauty Becomes Medicine," focuses on how South Korea regulates sunscreen as a functional cosmetic while the United States classifies it as an over-the-counter drug. She argues that as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and personalized skincare advance, the legal distinction between cosmetics and drugs may not survive the next 50 years. This matters for beauty and health industry stakeholders because any shift in how sunscreen and similar hybrid products are classified could alter product development, marketing claims, and consumer access on a global scale.
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 shared. "That contradiction became the foundation for my video."
The selection committee also cited Bul's broader achievements, including her selection as one of 11 students in the NexPoint John G. Tower Scholars Program, her original research on U.S.-Japan trade relations, and her work as a Brand & Marketing Outreach Intern for HANDS International in partnership with UNICEF, where she helped generate more than $150,000 in international funding to support more than 20 girls displaced by conflicts in the Middle East.
The 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. Students interested in next year's scholarship can find updated eligibility criteria and application details on the scholarship's terms and conditions page.
Bertolino LLP is an Austin-based law firm that has defended thousands of Texas licensed professionals since 2003. The firm's attorneys represent doctors, nurses, real estate agents, teachers, and professionals across dozens of regulated fields before Texas licensing boards and agencies. For more information, visit Bertolino LLP.
