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SOAR: opening doors for the next generation.
Amber Russell and her husband founded SOAR — Scholarship Opportunities and Relationships — to pair financial support with mentoring for young women who are the first in their families to pursue higher education or who have overcome significant challenges. It is the clearest statement of who she is outside the mediation room.
Why it matters to a mediator
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. Neither is a fair hearing.
The conviction behind SOAR is the same one that drives Amber’s approach to mediation: most people, given a fair process and someone who takes them seriously, will make a sound decision. SOAR gives students that process at the start of their careers. Mediation gives parties that process at the end of a dispute.
What SOAR does
1
SOAR Scholarship Program
Launched with a $250,000 commitment to the first scholarship program of its kind, SOAR now invests roughly $200,000 a year. Each year a class of high-achieving scholars receives multi-year financial support through their education.
2
SOAR Mentors
Every scholar is paired with a professional mentor for the length of the program — attorneys, business owners, and executives who commit to regular contact, not a single coffee.
3
SOAR Skills
Awards of up to $5,000 for skilled-trades and technical training, plus mentorship, for students whose path runs through a certification rather than a four-year degree.
Get involved
- Mentor a scholar. Attorneys and business professionals who can commit to one conversation a month.
- Give. SOAR Texas is a 501(c)(3); gifts fund scholarships and training awards directly.
- Hire. SOAR Skills graduates are entering trades and technical roles across Central Texas.
Women in Law events
Amber hosts Women in Law gatherings in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Denver, and Seattle — informal evenings that connect women attorneys, judges, and legal professionals. Mediation clients and counsel are welcome; email for the next date in your city.