Katie Lukish and Seroja Boyakhchian Honored as 2016 Anderson Scholars
Honoring Alvin P. Anderson On hand for the scholarship reception were, from left to right: Law School Dean Davison M. Douglas, TowneBank President Brian K. Skinner, Katie Lukish J.D. '18, and Betsy Anderson. Photo by David F. Morrill
Honoring Alvin P. Anderson From the Mason School of Business: Dean Larry Pulley, TowneBank President Brian K. Skinner, Seroja Boyakhchian '16, and Betsy Anderson. Photo by David F. Morrill
Honoring Alvin P. Anderson During the event at TowneBank, Betsy Anderson provided words of praise for this year's Anderson Scholars. Photo by David F. Morrill
MaryKatelyn (Katie) Lukish J.D. ’18 from William & Mary Law School, and Seroja Boyakhchian ’16 from the Mason School of Business, have been selected as recipients of Alvin Anderson Scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year.
Lukish and Boyakhchian were honored on September 20 during a reception hosted by TowneBank in Williamsburg.
The Anderson Scholars program, which began in 2010, honors the contributions of the late Alvin P. Anderson, a 1970 graduate of William & Mary and 1972 graduate of the Law School, who was a managing partner at Kaufman & Canoles and a member of that firm’s Executive Committee.
During his 36-year career, the always civic-minded Anderson served on TowneBank’s Hampton Roads, Peninsula, and Williamsburg boards, and was a director of the Riverside Healthcare Association and a director of Hampton Roads Academy. He also was the commissioner in chancery and the commissioner of accounts for the circuit courts of the City of Williamsburg and James City County.
He received the William & Mary Alumni Medallion in 1998 in recognition of his professional achievements and his outstanding commitment to his alma mater, and also served as a member of the College’s Board of Visitors, as a trustee of the Law School Foundation, and as president of the Alumni Association.
Brian Skinner, President of TowneBank Peninsula/Williamsburg, said he truly enjoyed honoring Anderson’s legacy each year, “because Alvin was such a special person to William & Mary and to TowneBank, and to the Williamsburg community.”
Anderson’s wife, Betsy HON ’15, was once again delighted to select from a number of outstanding students.
“The important thing for me is that these students not only have academic quality, but also the personal characteristics that remind me of Alvin--who he was and what he wanted to do with his life,” Anderson said. “I hope that’s what carries through with each of these events year after year.”
A native of Richmond, Katie Lukish graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Tech with a major in finance and minors in international business and political science. Before law school, she worked in the healthcare industry.
“Katie has truly excelled; she has received an award for top grade in the first-year course on civil procedure.,” said Davison M. Douglas, Dean of the Law School. “She’s also a member of the William & Mary Law Review and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team, and has a real commitment to service in the spirit of Alvin.”
Last summer Lukish worked at Kaufman and Canoles in Norfolk, the firm where Alvin and Betsy’s daughter, Mary Beth Sherwin J.D. ’00 practices as an attorney. Next summer, she will work for McGuire Woods in Richmond.
Larry Pulley, Dean of the Mason School of Business, had equally impressive stats to share about Seroja Boyakhchian, whom he called “a remarkable fellow” and “a wonderful asset” for the Business School and for TowneBank.
Boyakhchian, who hails from Northern Virginia, will graduate this year with a major in the Mason School’s new business analytics program. He has also concentrated in marketing and has maintained an overall GPA of 3.9.
“Like so many of our students he has a strong orientation toward service,” Pulley said. “He is one of the shift leaders for the Campus Kitchens program, President of the Interfraternity Council, and worked significantly and strongly for the Taskforce for Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention.”
Both Lukish and Boyakhchian received a $5,000 scholarship and an inscribed crystal vase.
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America's oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.