PIA FELLOWS
Here are the 2025 PIA Summer and Post Graduate Fellows!
Post Graduate Fellows:
Mountain State Justice
Oklawaha Holt
Summer Fellows:
Legal Aid of West Virginia
Chase Ake
Connor Avington
Abby Blake
Kat Meeker
Kevin Patrick
Jeff Seabury
ChildLaw
Christina Houston
Cameron Davis
WV Senior Legal Aid
Terri "Gracie" Davis
ACLU of WV
Kate Riggleman
Disability Rights of WV
Jessica Bleigh
Kasey Lyons
Mountain State Justice
Jasper Dickerson
Christian Morrow
Sprouse Fellows:
Southern District Federal Defender Office
Fred Martin
(Left to right: Syd Mcginnis - Sprouse Fellow, Tori Pettry - Legal Aid of WV, Greg Robertson - Mt. State Justice, Alivia Rosnick - Legal Aid of WV, Gracie Davis - Senior Legal Aid, Chris Payne - Raleigh Country Pub. Defender, Jessica Bleigh - Disability Rights, Christina Houston - Child Law Services, Aryanna Islam - Sprouse Fellow, Kasey Lyons - Mountain State Justice, Ocklawaha Holt - Catholic Charities, Olivia Hellen - Legal Aid of WV, Angelo Fioravante - Sprouse Fellow)
Sprouse Public Defender Fellowship
The Sprouse Public Defender Fellowship is particularly competitive and students apply in the fall to be awarded this opportunity. One student who is awarded the Sprouse fellowship will work with a state public defender and the other with a federal public defender.
Charon Fellowship
The Charon Fellowship is a specially funded and recognized PIA fellowship that has been created in honor of the late Regina Charon, Esq. This fellowship, established by Regina’s husband Nyles, honors Regina’s legacy as a legal services attorney. This fellowship will be awarded annually to a rising third year student who embodies the spirit of public interest law, with a focus on service to Legal Aid.
Here are the past recipients of the Charon Fellowship:
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Lisa Hartline, Summer 2016
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Diandra Bosch, Summer 2017
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Mikayla Bonner, Summer 2018
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Sarah Petitto, Summer 2019
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Jenny Cochran, Summer 2020
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Zoey Vilasuso, Summer 2021
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Olivia Lee, Summer 2022
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Kenny May, Summer 2023
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Greg Robertson, Summer 2024
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Connor Avington, Summer 2025
PIA Post Graduate Fellowship
Ocklawaha Holt (Wabby) is completing her fellowship at Mountain State Justice in Morgantown, West Virginia. She is passionate about expanding access to justice for immigrant communities across the state. Through this fellowship, she aims to provide direct legal support, challenge systemic barriers, and advocate for policies that protect and empower immigrants.
Outside of her work, Wabby enjoys wildflowers, traveling, kayaking, and hiking. She is subject to the whims of a very social 8-year-old Great Pyrenees named Macy who visits her fan club on the rail trail daily. Having lived in many places, she doesn’t claim a single hometown—but she hopes that one day, West Virginia will claim her as its own.
Ocklawaha Holt
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Oklawaha "Wabby" Holt, 2025
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Katie McClung, 2024
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Jack Swiney, 2023
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Rayann Yocum, 2022
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Kayla Aungst, 2021
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Laura Davidson, 2020
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Tiffany Kent, 2020
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Maddie Mortiz, 2019
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Zach Gray, 2018
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Courtney Crowder, 2017
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Katherine Marcum, 2017
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Micki Biggs, 2016
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Patrick Holbrook, 2016
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Susan Waldie, 2016
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Stephanie Welsh, 2015
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Omolola Oluyemi, 2014
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Paul Robinson, 2014
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Michael Nissim-Sabat, 2013
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Jake Polverini, 2012
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Joe Kinser, 2011
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Amy Dawson, 2010
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Jaci Gonzalez, 2010
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Vanessa Wilson, 2009
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Steve Conifer, 2008