WMU-Cooley’s Tampa Bay Campus Holds Virtual Honors Convocation

On March 9, an honors convocation was held for students at WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus who will be graduating  following the law school’s winter term.

Eric Hall, Tyrone Laury, Elpiniki Roussos, Jessica Sivillo, and Sharon Woodbury were presented with the Leadership Achievement Award, which acknowledges those students who have consistently, comprehensively, and effectively provided leadership in a variety of capacities. The award is intended to be the culmination of the recipients’ participation in leadership activities at WMU-Cooley.

Additionally, Laury and Sivillo were presented with the Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award. The award is given to selected graduating students based on academic accomplishment, professionalism, and ethics, demonstrated leadership at WMU-Cooley, meaningful extracurricular activities, and post-graduation plans. The recipients are selected by the past presidents and executive committee of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association. The recipients were presented a diploma frame from the law school.

Pictured: Tyrone Laury

Hall, originally from Detroit, Michigan, earned his bachelor’s degree from Siena Heights University.  While at WMU-Cooley he chair of the Student Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee, vice president for the Real Property, Probate &  Trust Law Student Association, treasurer of the law school’s Federal Bar Association, and a member of the Black Law Students Association.  Hall was also a member of the Moot Court team and the served as a student ambassador.

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Laury earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida.  While at WMU-Cooley, he served as president and secretary for the Black Law Students Association, served as president and vice president of the campus’ American Constitution Society, and was associate editor for the WMU-Cooley Law Review. He served chief justice and council member of the Moot Court’s executive team, and was a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society  and the Federal Bar Association.

Roussos, who hales from Nassau, Bahamas, earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Florida. She served as parliamentarian, senator-at-large and was a member of the By-Law Committee for the Student Bar Association.  She was a staff writer for The Pillar, the law school’s student-run newsletter; and executive board member and membership chair of the Mock Trial Board.  Roussos was also a member of Real Property & Trust Law Student Association, the National Mock Trial Competition Team, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

Sivillo, from Mayfield Heights, Ohio, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University Tampa. She served as secretary for the Student Bar Association, vice president and secretary of the law school’s chapter of Help Save the Next Girl, and president and treasurer of the WMU-Cooley Florida Association for Women Lawyers. Sivillo was a member of the National Moot Court Team and the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Law School Affiliate.

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Woodbury earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Regent University. While at WMU-Cooley, Woodbury served as president of the Christian Legal Society and of WMU-Cooley’s chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She was a member of the law school’s chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and of the Black Law Students Association.