A law student became the first UF student nominated for a scholarship for his work promoting diversity within the UF law community.
Anthony Kakoyannis, a 23-year-old second-year, was one of six finalists to receive $10,000 in the Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program. There were about 300 applicants from more than 90 schools.Over the past 10 years, Latham & Watkins has awarded almost $500,000 to recipients.
Nadia Sager, the chairwoman of Latham & Watkins’ diversity leadership committee, said the scholarship was created to support the promotion of diversity within the field.
“The world is rapidly changing,” she said. “The business world needs to be able to reach diverse clients.”
Winners showed strong academics, compelling life experiences and outstanding character, Sager said. She said Kakoyannis stood out among the candidates for his ability to embrace adventure and turn it into success.
Kakoyannis is the president of OUTlaw, the UF Levin College of Law’s gay-straight alliance group, where he has pioneered law opportunities for the UF LGBTQ+ community.
“I let other people be the activist and use my own knowledge to help others,” Kakoyannis said. “I spend my time trying to get our members jobs and give them an advantage to get these opportunities.”
Kakoyannis said the nomination is an honor for him and the university, as other nominees were from Ivy League law schools.
Kakoyannis received his undergraduate degree in philosophy at American University and is currently ranked third in his UF Law class. He plans to work at a law firm in Washington, D.C., this summer, and he said he hopes to eventually work for the federal government.
“My philosophy is there is a lot of focus on changing the law,” he said. “I think it’s more important to be in this field and serve as a positive example. I think that it’s a great way to change people’s outlooks and attitudes.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/1/2015 under the headline “UF law student finalist in Diversity Scholars”]
