On July 13, WMU-Cooley Law School’s Lansing campus held its summer term honors convocation recognizing students for their achievements.
Alexandra Calzaretta was 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.
Originally from Westminster, Colorado, Calzaretta earned her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University. While at WMU-Cooley she was a member of the Student Bar Association where she served as a senator and member of the executive board. Calzaretta was a member of the Law Review, Mock Trial and Organization of Women Law Students.
In addition to the Leadership Achievement Award, Calzaretta was honored with the Student Bar Association Fitzgerald Award for significant commitment towards the improvement of the school’s various student organizations.
During the convocation, the Alumni Association Distinguished Student Award was presented to Melissa Bianchi.
The award is given to selected graduating students based on academic accomplishments, professionalism and ethics, leadership, extracurricular activities, and post-graduation plans.
The recipients are selected by the past presidents and executive committee of the WMU-Cooley Alumni Association. Recipients are presented a diploma frame from the law school.
Bianchi, who is originally from Midland, Texas, earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.
She served as an associate editor for the WMU-Cooley Law Review, treasurer for the Organization of Women Lawyers, and participated in the Sixty Plus Estate Planning Clinic. Bianchi was chosen as a fellow to the ABA Legal Education Police Practices Consortium, and served as a teaching assistant for professors Tonya Krause-Phelan and Monica Nuckolls.
In addition to the Alumni Distinguished Student Award, Bianchi was presented with the Student Bar Association's Distinguished Student Award and the Law Review's John D. Voelker Award, which recognizes a law student who made significant contributions to furthering the purpose of the publication.
Zhanna Mendolia also was presented the Alumni Distinguished Student Award during the Tampa Bay campus Honors Convocation.
Mendolia is originally from Stavropol, Russia where she earned a foreign law degree before immigrating to the United States. She is a Dean’s List student who is active in the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar "Health and Wellness Olympics 2023,” and has intentions to open her own practice in the future.