Wayne Law student awarded federal court's scholarship

DETROIT - Samuel Kokoszka, who will start his second year at Wayne State University Law School this fall, has been awarded the Mark A. Miller Memorial Fund Scholarship.

The award is given each year by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to a summer intern of a judicial officer at the court. The scholarship honors the memory of Mark A. Miller, who was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh. Miller, a Milford resident, died in 2010 at age 53 following serious health issues.

"Evident in Mark's daily life was his respect for others, his sense of humor, courtesy and professionalism," states a description of the scholarship provided by the court. "As much as possible, we seek recipients who share Mark's values and passion."

The award is a $1,500 stipend to offset out-of-pocket expenses during the intern's tenure with the court.

Kokoszka, who lives in Detroit, said he loves the city and chose Wayne Law because of its urban location and because of the school's extensive and involved alumni network.

"I'm not sure what I want to do when I graduate, but I think I want to work in a large Detroit firm, and I'm pretty sure I want to litigate," the student said.

He earned his bachelor's degree cum laude in political science from Central Michigan University with a minor in economics.

This summer, he's an intern for U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, a Wayne law alumna. He spent the summer before law school working for NOVA Environmental in Ann Arbor as a project manager. Kokoszka volunteers as a mentor for incoming students at Wayne Law and also served as a mentor to high school students from Detroit's Cody Academy of Public Leadership for the "Why the D? Detroit Youth Offer Solutions" symposium in May at the law school.

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