Kaylin Gaal Awarded College of Wooster’s Carpenter Pre-Law Prize

Senior history and classical studies double major will attend law school at William & Mary in the fall

WOOSTER, Ohio — Kaylin Gaal, a senior history and classical studies double major at The College of Wooster and a graduate of Clarke County High School in Berryville, Va., has been chosen as the David L. Carpenter Pre-Law Prize winner for 2011. The $5,000 award is presented annually to Wooster’s top pre-law student. Selection is based on academic achievement, participation in Wooster’s Pre-Law Advising Program, experience as a student leader, and a commitment to personal honesty and integrity.

“I am honored and thrilled,” said Gaal. “The College of Wooster’s Independent Study program and its writing-intensive coursework have prepared me for the rigorous research and extensive writing required in law school. I look forward to continuing my education with the generous assistance of this award.”

During her four years at Wooster, Gaal has distinguished herself in the classroom and in a variety of other activities. In addition to being named to the Dean’s list, she received five scholarships, including a Dunham Scholarship for excellence in history, and an Osgood Scholarship for academic achievement among history majors. She also was a member of the highly successful Moot Court team; served as vice president of Wooster’s division of the national classics honor society Eta Sigma Phi; and was a volunteer Latin tutor at the Wooster Montessori School.

Gaal was accepted to six law schools, and has chosen to attend William & Mary in the fall. Her advisors, Greg and Josephine Shaya, spoke highly of her accomplishments in both history and classical studies. “Kaylin is an outstanding student,” said Greg, an associate professor of history. “She is smart, hard-working, and confident. She never let obstacles get in her way.” Josephine, an assistant professor of classical studies, added, “For all of her academic talents and achievements, she has a lovely sense of humor. She has been a pleasure to work with.”

Established by the Figgie Family Foundation in 1999, the Carpenter Prize commemorates the life of the late David Lyle Carpenter, a 1965 Wooster alumnus who became a leading tax and corporate lawyer and a partner in the Cleveland law firm of Calfee, Halter & Griswold L.L.P. Prior to his death in 1999, Carpenter was recognized by Best Lawyers in America for excellence in the category of corporate law. He was also an active member of the Heights Christian Church and served on the board of the National Conference for Community and Justice. At Wooster, he won departmental honors in economics and lettered in track and field. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he earned both an M.B.A. and a J.D.