A $2,500 scholarship awarded by Bertolino LLP to Ajok "Jolie" Bul, a student at Southern Methodist University, is drawing attention to a regulatory contradiction that could reshape the beauty and pharmaceutical industries. Bul won the 2026 Impact in Government Scholarship for her video, "When Beauty Becomes Medicine," which argues that the legal distinction between cosmetics and drugs may not survive the next 50 years.
Bul's video examines how South Korea regulates sunscreen as a functional cosmetic, while the United States classifies it as an over-the-counter drug. As biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and personalized skincare continue to advance, she contends that this inconsistent treatment could become untenable. The implications are significant: differing regulatory frameworks affect product availability, safety standards, and market access across countries, and as products blur the line between cosmetic and therapeutic, the legal categories that govern them may need to be rethought.
"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."
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. Her broader achievements include selection as one of 11 students in the NexPoint John G. Tower Scholars Program, recognition as a Gerald & Gail Turner Scholar, and work 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. Her selection underscores the growing importance of regulatory foresight as industries adapt to rapid technological change.
Bertolino LLP, an Austin-based law firm that has defended thousands of Texas licensed professionals since 2003, sponsors the scholarship. 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 about the firm, visit Bertolino LLP.
