What is the Ignatian Scholars Program?
The Ignatian Law Scholars (ILS) Program recognizes particularly promising members of the entering law school class whose applications reflect the Jesuit values of commitment to academic excellence and service to others. ILS receive a renewable Dean’s Scholarship and are assigned faculty and alumni mentors to help with the transition to law school and practice. In addition, Scholars gather for special events each semester to get to know each other and other members of the law school community.
Fall 2022 Ignatian Law Scholars
Loyola University New Orleans proudly welcomes 13 new members to the Program.
The newest Ignatian Law Scholars class comes from 8 different states and from 12 different undergraduate institutions, including one Historically Black College and University. The members of this cohort of Ignatian Scholars come from diverse backgrounds: 4 of 13 identify as a person of color and 8 of 13 identify as women; at least five religious traditions are represented, and two are parents! Additionally, four scholars hold Master’s Degrees. This class is academically gifted as well as talented educators and dedicated social justice advocates. We are ecstatic to welcome them to Loyola!
For more information about Loyola Law’s Ignatian Law Scholar Program, please contact the Law Admissions Office at (504) 861-5575 or ladmit@loyno.edu.
A Loyola legal education changes the way you experience the world and the practice of law. Join a community that brings learning to life. Apply today.
Alexander Bolanos earned his BA in History and an AA in International Studies from Southeastern Louisiana University. Alexander is guided by his faith and incorporates it into everything he does. In addition to volunteering at his church, Alexander enjoys cooking, gardening, gaming, reading, and history.
Lale Brown graduated from Florida State University with a BA in music and a minor in business. Lale Brown studied double bass performance while working in the culinary arts. Lale is an advocate for people in the QTIBIPOC community and intends to remain connected to their musical roots.
Lucy Brown graduated from Louisiana State University with a BS in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. Lucy was an active member of her sorority, dedicating much of her time to giving back to the community through volunteering at various organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Lucy enjoys spending her free time hiking and rafting.
Emma Collin graduated from Tulane University with a BS in Environmental Biology and Ecology. Emma is dedicated to fighting climate change. She advocated as a community organizer for the Gulf South Delegation at the United Nations Climate Talks. Emma volunteers at Jewish Voice for Peace New Orleans and is an editor at New Orleans Progressive Voter Guide.
Tristan Diermann holds a BA in Music Performance from the University of Alabama and an MBA from the University of Alabama. He teaches electric bass and performs volunteer concerts at nursing homes and rehab facilities. Tristan is interested in delving into how intellectual property rights affect musicians' creative processes.
Austin Galy graduated with a BA in history from University of New Orleans. Austin is invested in serving the New Orleans community with his love of history. He worked with the Smithsonian Institute in recording the oral history of veterans and also volunteers at the Veteran’s Day parade. When he is not volunteering, he enjoys fitness and spending time with his family.
Jailyn Heisser graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a BS in Business with a concentration in
Finance. Jailyn is committed to serving the community by being a voice for those with less privilege. In pursuit of that goal, she learned Spanish and is learning American Sign Language. Jailyn spends her free time volunteering for FUND-17 which helps local entrepreneurs launch small businesses.
Anna Jones earned her BA in Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from Louisiana State University. Anna is an award-winning journalist for LSU’s school newspaper, the Reveille. She is passionate about juvenile justice and has served as the treasurer for the Tiger Prison Project, an organization dedicated to advocating for prison reform.
Christian Marks graduated from the University of Mississippi with a BBA in Banking and Finance. While at Ole Miss, Christian served as the Head Prudential Chairman for his fraternity. He is a volunteer with the Leapfrog Program, tutoring children who attend elementary school in an economically disadvantaged community.
Anna Nguyen graduated from the University of New Orleans with a BS in Finance. Prior to law school, Anna worked as an Accounting Clerk at Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr, & Smith. She volunteers at her church, providing translation services and teaching students about Vietnamese culture. She enjoys traveling and sports.
Samantha Quinones graduated from University of South Florida with a BA in Political Science. Samantha is active in the political process and stands up for people in marginalized communities. She has participated in the George Floyd protests, canvassed for the Progressive Turnout Project, and interned in the Andrew Gillum for Governor campaign.
Cait Roberts graduated from SUNY at Binghamton Center with a BA in English. While at Binghampton, Cait volunteered as a peer educator at the Binghamton University Q Center and developed training programming on non-binary identities. They served as Publicity Coordinator at Ellipsis Literary Magazine.
Sydney Rusovich, a National Merit Finalist, graduated from the University of Mississippi with BA in Arabic and International Studies. Sydney co-founded and led Rebels Against Sexual Assault, an organization that raises awareness for sexual assault awareness and provides survivor resources. She also served as the Student Delegate for the UM Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Logan Satter graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Environmental Science and Policy. Logan is passionate about protecting our environment so much so that he used his academic career to study climate history and climate change. He served on FSU’s Inter Residence Hall Council and the Eco-Reps sub-council. He hopes to one day use his love of the law and the environment to launch a political career.
Danae Scheuing graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a BA in Criminology and Justice. Danae served the City of New Orleans since 2015 as a police officer and later as a detective for the Violent Crimes Division. Her work with the New Orleans Police Department motivated her to pursue a legal education. She hopes to make a larger impact for those affected by the criminal justice system after earning her law degree.
Alyce Simien graduated from Rice University with a BA in English. Alyce uses her writing talent to bring a voice to women and women of color, including through her thesis on the aesthetic concerns of African-American women. As the co-editor of Engender Magazine, Alyce spearheaded a special edition which celebrated the voices of Black women students.
Maya Archaya graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in Film Production. Maya has worked as a graphic designer and photographer, and in sports broadcasting and filmmaking.
O'Brien Alley graduated from Tulane University with a B.S. in Psychology and Classical Studies. she has devoted numerous hours to non-profit organizations such as Magnolia Community Services, Children’s Hospital, Sanctuary at Passages Hospice, Roots of Music, and Trinity Community Center.
Kent Coupe graduated from Reed College with a B.A. in History and The University of Texas at Austin with a Master's degree in Education. Kent began his career as an AmeriCorps member in Austin, Texas before becoming a public school teacher.
Clifford Fields graduated from Oakwood University with a B.A. Clifford has political experience as a precinct captain for an Alabama State Housing campaign.
Peter Finney graduated from St. Joseph's Seminary College with a B.A. in Philosophy and Theological Studies, Pontificia Universita San Tommaso D'Aquino with a Bachelor of Sacred Theology, and l’Accademia Alfonsiana with a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in Moral Theology. Prior to arriving at Loyola Law, Fr. Finney served locally as the pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church, Chaplain of Ursuline Academy, and as the assistant pastoral formation director of Notre Dame Seminary.
Paige Franckiewicz graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.A. in Accounting. Paige was a starting member of the Loyola Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Team and was the Vice President of the Delta Gamma Fraternity and an Executive Officer on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Jordan Giles graduated from Rhodes College with a B.A. in International Studies and a B.A. in Russian Studies. While at Rhodes, Jordan served as the Editor-in-Chief for Modus Vivendi, an international studies journal; served as president for the Russian club; and, named Mertie Buckman International Internship Scholar.
Cameron Haddad graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a B.A. in Film Production and John Paul the Great Catholic University with an MBA in Film Production. Cameron has interned at Walden Media and produced two films: “Unspoken” and “Rewind.”
Scott Havener graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.M. in Music Composition where he earned an Outstanding Composition Student Award, an Outstanding Music Theory Student Award, and academic honors.
Alexander Hood graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.A. in Political Science. At UNO, he earned the prestigious Latin American Studies Grant from the Doris Zemurray-Stone Endowment Chair to study the experiences and treatment of illness among Shipibo communities in Peru.
Daisy Huck graduated from American University with a B.A. in Performing Arts - Dance, and a B.A. in Political Science. Daisy has been a dancer for 19 years and has participated in a number of productions.
Kayla Koonz graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Social Justice. Kayla has sung for the WWII Museum, the Zephyrs Baseball Team, and for a film production.
Sorren Lannes graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.A. in English and a minor in French Language. While at USM, Mr. Lannes studied abroad in France for two semesters to increase his competency in French and studied abroad in London to study William Shakespeare.
Charelle Lett graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.A. in African American studies. Charelle is a first-generation college student and has been involved with various organizations such as the UAB NAACP, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Pre-Law Society.
Aspen Murphy graduated from Howard University with a B.A. in Communication - Broadcast Journalism. She currently works in Community Relations at Marathon Petroleum Company and is a board member at St. John United Way and the Krewe of Harmonia.
Mindy Parker graduated from Tulane University with a B.S. in Business Management and Legal Studies of Business. She has served as a leader in the student ministry of Celebration Church for six years.
Dawn Penn graduated from Dillard University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Prior to law school, she worked as the Pretrial Release Bond Advocate for Orleans Public Defenders.
Patricio Ramos graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a B.A. in Political Science. Mr. Ramos served five years of active duty in the U.S. Navy that included two combat deployments to the Persian Gulf.
Madison Tuck graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.A in English. She served as the president of Wolf Pack for Life at Loyola and planned the 2019 Rehumanize Conference, a national whole life conference for peace and justice.
Christopher Abadie graduated from LSU with a B.A. in Political Science. Christopher also serves as an official for USA Volleyball and for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
Caleb Bertrand is a graduate of Tulane University where he received a B.S. in Finance. While at Tulane, he was twice named all-conference pole vaulter in the American Athletic Conference.
Meredith Booker graduated from Wayne State University with a B.A. in Sociology and a B.S. in Criminal Justice. She then received her M.P.P. from Oregon State University. She has spent the last several years working as a Legislative Aide to Senator Jeffrey A. Merkley of Oregon.
Haley Butler received her B.A. and M.A. in Linguistics from Tulane University. Prior to coming to law school, Haley worked as an investigator for the Capital Assistance Project in New Orleans.
Maggie M. Daly graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Chemistry and Environmental Studies. Before coming to law school, Margaret served as a Program Manager for Youth Rebuilding New Orleans where she designs and evaluates youth workforce development programs.
Brooke Hathaway graduated from LSU with a B.A. in Political Science. Since graduation, she has served as an Economic Research and Policy Analyst with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, an economic development organization.
Alessandra G. Jerolleman received her B.A. in English and Spanish from Tulane University, and her M.P.A. and Ph.Dh in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at Jacksonville State University.
Carly E. Jonakin graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science. After graduation, Carly joined Sidley Austin, L.L.P. as a Pro Bono and Appellate Project Assistant.
Calder H. Lamb graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a B.S. in Economics with Financial Applications and minors in Philosophy and Religious Studies. Since graduation, he has worked at a Fortune 100 energy company, an education services start-up, and in his family’s travel business.
Benjamin Landau-Beispiel received a B.A. in History from Harvard University with a Masters in History and an M.Ed from Temple University. He is an experienced teacher who has taught in several schools in Pennsylvania and in Vietnam.
Hailey A. Maldonado graduated from LSU with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Communication Studies. While in college, Hailey served as a communications intern in the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General and was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority.
D’Audra I. Metoyer graduated from Xavier University with a B.A. in Political Science. While at Xavier, D’Audra served as Social Action Chair for the Gamma Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Sarah T. Morgan received a B.S. in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management from Texas A&M University at Galveston. Since graduation she has been working as a legal assistant and volunteering at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
Caitlion O’Neill graduated from the University of New Mexico, Anderson School of Management with a B.B.A degree. Caitlion is the founder of VIRIDIA, the first vegan dairy in Louisiana, and conducts vegan pop-ups and catered events using the dairy’s products.
Daniel A. Quiroa-Tercero graduated from University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration. While at ULL, Daniel was a member of the Moot Court Team and an active member of the Alpha and Omega Church.
William S. Schumacher graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.A. in History and received his Masters in Professional Studies from the Homeland Security Program at Tulane University. William is an experienced paramedic.
Lily T. Shropshire received her B.S. in Psychology from Spring Hill. While in college, Lily volunteered extensively for organizations that provide legal and tax services to low income people and families.
Michel Singler graduated from LSU with a B.S. in History. He recently completed his first Century (100 mile) bike ride.
Grace N. Sossaman received her B.A. in Political Science from LSU. As a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, Grace has volunteered for Prevent Child Abuse America, Girl Scouts of America, and International Girls Day.
Madison R. Torry is a graduate of Dillard University where she majored in Political Science. While at Dillard, Madison served as President of the Senior Class Council and was a member of the Mock Trial Team.
Christopher P. Banks is a graduate of Xavier University and St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He has served in the United States Navy and in the New Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Christopher now works as a Federal Officer with the Department of Veterans Affairs and aspires to return to the military after law school.
Gabrielle C. Broders graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Health Care Ethics. As a volunteer with the Junior League of St. Louis, she worked to reduce infant mortality rates in the city. Gabrielle also served as an intern with Special Olympics Missouri.
Melia R. Cerrato has a B.A. in Psychology from Bethel University in Minnesota and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. She most recently served as a Youth and Family Development Specialist for the Peace Corps in Machala, Ecuador.
Claire N. David graduated summa cum laude from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a B.S. in Accounting. Claire was awarded the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key for earning the highest GPA at ULL College of Business in her graduating class. She’s an experienced practitioner of Brazilian Jujitsu.
Emily Degan graduated from the University of Notre Dame with her Bachelor of Business Administration. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Emily is the founder and CEO of Saint Hugh, a women’s outdoor apparel company, and has been featured in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and New Orleans Fashion Week.
Kimberly M. Fanshier received her B.A. in English from Lewis & Clark College and her M.A. in English from Portland State University, where her research focused on the literary image of domestic violence in the literature of the American West. Kimberly has previously worked in compliance and capacity building for food pantries and as a skills trainer for people in recovery from mental illness and addiction. She is a regular contributor to Everyday Feminism.
Kevin B. Fitzgerald has a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Teaching from Fordham University. Prior to coming to law school, he helped to design the civic curriculum for the Travis Hill School at the Orleans Justice Center. Kevin currently volunteers at the Justice and Accountability Center in New Orleans.
Jenna R. Grant graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. While in college, she spent a semester studying at Charles University in Prague. Jenna is interested in criminal justice reform and has volunteered for the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition and the NAACP.
Dylan Hoke is a graduate of Baylor University where he received a B.A. in Medical Humanities. While at Baylor, Dylan served as both Intramural Chair and Transportation Chair for the university’s nationally-ranked Wakeboarding team. He also volunteered through the Baylor Stepping Out Program, cleaning up the banks of the Brazos River and helping to build a nature area at a local elementary school.
Corina Lopez received her B.A. in Philosophy from Loyola University New Orleans, where she received the Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Award for Social Justice. Corina was an active member of the Loyola community, serving as the Student Government Association Chief Justice, the Co-President of Phi Sigma Tau, and as a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Gabriella C. Mouriz is a graduate of Tulane University where she majored in Political Economy and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Gabriella has served as an intern for the then-Judge Madeleine Landrieu on the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal and for Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Wilkinson, Jr. and Judge Jane Triche Milazzo on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Kevin J. Naccari Jr. received his degree in accounting from Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge. Since graduating from LSU, Kevin has been working at the intersection of law and accounting for two large corporate employers. He plans to pursue a specialization in tax law.
Hannah Quicksell is a graduate of Grinnell College where she majored in Philosophy. Following college, Hannah was accepted into the teachNOLA Fellows program. Since 2015, she has been an English teacher at L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero where, in addition to her classroom duties, she launched a college visit series.
Patrick T. Smith graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in Finance. Patrick completed his college education while working in the hospitality industry and now serves as a front office supervisor at the Sheraton New Orleans.
Victoria E. Terranova graduated summa cum laude from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and minors in Spanish and History. While at ULL, she conducted a research project into student views of the death penalty. Prior to attending law school, Victoria interned with the 15th Judicial District Office of the District Attorney.
Monica T. Tran is a graduate of Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge where she received a B.S. in Accounting with a minor in Mass Communication. Monica served as Public Relations Officer for the honors business fraternity Beta Alpha Phi and was active in the Vietnamese Student Association on campus. Monica is also a committed volunteer and has worked on several local beautification projects, painting public murals and repainting old school buildings.
Sarah R. Wallace received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, from Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge. After college, Sarah spent about seven years working as an administrator for Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado. In 2016, she returned to Louisiana to become an investigative associate for the 36th District Office of the Public Defender, where she has worked to implement a new program to offer rehabilitation services for incarcerated clients with addiction.