Bertolino LLP has awarded its 2026 Impact in Government Scholarship to Ajok "Jolie" Bul, a student at Southern Methodist University whose winning video, "When Beauty Becomes Medicine," examines a regulatory contradiction that could reshape how the law treats skincare products. The $2,500 scholarship, announced by the Austin-based firm, invited applicants to answer one of two prompts; Bul chose to address what law today will be obsolete by 2075.
Bul's video highlights that South Korea regulates sunscreen as a functional cosmetic, while the United States classifies it as an over-the-counter drug. That divergence is not merely a technical footnote. As biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and personalized skincare continue to advance, Bul argues that the legal distinction between cosmetics and drugs may not survive the next 50 years. Her argument matters because it points to a larger problem: regulatory categories built for an earlier era may struggle to accommodate products that blur the line between beauty and medicine.
The implications extend beyond sunscreen. If personalized skincare treatments and AI-driven formulations can deliver therapeutic effects, then the current binary of cosmetic versus drug could become unworkable, forcing regulators and legislators to rethink how products are classified, tested, and approved. For consumers, that could mean changes in access, labeling, and safety oversight. For industry, it could mean new compliance burdens and opportunities. Bul's firsthand experience in the skincare industry lends weight to her analysis. 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 market.
"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, including her selection as one of 11 students in the NexPoint John G. Tower Scholars Program and her recognition as a Gerald & Gail Turner Scholar. She conducted original research on U.S.-Japan trade relations and presented it at the Sun & Star Business and Geopolitics Symposium co-hosted with Kwansei Gakuin University. As Director of Programming for the Association of Black Students, she increased freshman meeting attendance by more than 60 percent. She also worked 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.
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.
Bertolino LLP, which has defended thousands of Texas licensed professionals since 2003, uses the scholarship to encourage forward-looking thinking about government regulation. Students interested in next year's Impact in Government Scholarship can find updated eligibility criteria and application details online. The firm's broader practice, described at Bertolino LLP, focuses on representing professionals before Texas licensing boards and agencies.
