Law Students Recognized for High Achievement, Military Service, and Diversity in the Legal Profession
BOSTON, October 14, 2021: In September alone, four law students at New England Law | Boston received scholarship awards from firms and funds focused on diversity and service: Christianna Golden, Sebastien Gustave, Aisha Nanyanzi, and Layana White.
Christianna Golden, a third-year student and President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at New England Law, is this year’s winner of the Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick Ltd Law School Scholarship for Veterans. Golden served in the Marine Corps before pursuing her law degree. She is actively involved in public service organizations such as the CORI Initiative under New England Law’s Center for Law and Social Responsibility, which assists indigent clients in sealing their criminal records.
Golden said, “As the uniform I wear will shift from digital green Marine pattern to that of the drafter of legislation, two things about these uniforms will remain consistent; I am a public servant armed with the Marine Corps leadership traits and it is my duty to serve the people of this great nation to be part of something bigger than myself.”
Learn More: Diversity and Inclusion at New England Law
Sebastien Gustave is a first-year student in the part-time evening program at New England Law. He is a Fall 2021 recipient of the George Floyd Memorial Legal Scholarship Fund, which was set up to “keep Mr. Floyd’s memory alive while providing much-needed support to students.” The Foundation has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships since its inception in 2020.
Executive Director Jacari Harris said, “Our hope at the George Floyd Memorial Foundation is that these high-achieving students will become attorneys, activists and scholars who will work to ensure people are treated fairly around the world.”
“I am incredibly grateful and proud to be a recipient of this scholarship,” said Gustave. “As a Haitian immigrant who came to the U.S. in my teens, not many of my peers have had the opportunity to pursue higher education. I thank the foundation for taking the time to help me out in these stringent times.”
Aisha Nanyanzi is the recipient of a $50,000 scholarship from the Inaugural Anderson & Kreiger LLP Legal Diversity Fund Awards. As a single mother who immigrated to the U.S. from Uganda, Nanyanzi hopes to become an immigration lawyer. She is a third-year evening student who works full-time.
“I couldn’t be more thankful to the scholarship committee at Anderson & Kreiger for this award,” said Nanyanzi. “It is an honor to have been selected from a pool of competitive and equally deserving candidates. This award affords me the opportunity to focus on my studies and continue to pursue my dreams of becoming an attorney. Scholarship patrons like Anderson & Kreiger—willing to support diverse law students—offer students such as myself a path to success in the legal world.”
Learn More: New England Law's Evening Program
Layana White is a second-year student who became passionate about advocating for others after fighting against sexual orientation discrimination when she was a college basketball player, which led to a landmark opinion in Videckis v. Pepperdine. She also received a scholarship from the Inaugural Anderson & Kreiger LLP Legal Diversity Fund Awards.
Annie Lee, an associate at Anderson & Kreiger who worked with the Selection Committee, said "We received passionate applications from many students, and are honored they chose to share their experiences and ambitions with us...We have no doubt they will all make Boston a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible legal community."
According to Co-Acting Dean Allison Dussias, New England Law students are exceptional; they come from all walks of life and they are passionate about justice. “We congratulate these students for gaining this important recognition and support,” said Dussias. “We are excited to see where their legal careers take them next.”