A new scholarship at the UConn School of Law will help veterans and students who are active-duty military service members pay tuition and associated costs.
Michael Callahan ’95 and his wife, Dr. Dana Weintraub, will establish the Mike Callahan ’95 Family Scholarship for Veterans this year. The impetus, Callahan said, was his belief in public service and giving back to society, a principle that his parents impressed on him from a young age.
“Both my parents spent their lives working in public service, my mother as a public school guidance counselor and my father as an FBI Agent,” Callahan said. “I was raised to believe that if you can help others, you should.”
Callahan had a 20-year career in corporate roles, including serving as general counsel for both Yahoo! and LinkedIn, and now teaches at Stanford Law School. He said he was inspired to create the scholarship as a way to give back to the law school he loves, and because he believes that sharing resources is more important than ever as the world battles a pandemic. He chose to help veterans, he said, because he admires them.
“This group of students have already demonstrated their commitment to public service through military service,” Callahan said. “I know I wouldn’t have gotten through my schooling without scholarships and financial aid, so I am thrilled to be able to help these students, who have given so much, achieve their dreams.”
Callahan said he remembers his time at UConn Law fondly and believes his law school education prepared him well for his career. He credits faculty members such as Professor Richard Pomp, with whom he developed a strong friendship, who taught in a very practical way.
“Mike was one of those extraordinary students who you knew was going to become a legend,” Pomp said. “Right from the outset, Mike distinguished himself as a worldly, sophisticated person with a razor-sharp mind and finely honed interpersonal skills. What a wonderful emissary for the law school.”
Dean Eboni S. Nelson said the law school is proud to call Callahan an alumnus and is deeply honored by his gift.
“The UConn School of Law is immensely grateful for Mr. Callahan’s and Dr. Weintraub’s generous support for students with a military background,” Nelson said. “Their endowed scholarship will further the law school’s mission of accessibility and affordability by helping to provide a legal education for students who have helped to protect our democracy and the rule of law.”
