Hometown Pride: Ané Wanliss ’14

When Ané Wanliss ’14 decided to apply for law school, she knew that the workload and the demanding schedule would be a lot to carry. Always one to think carefully in making decisions, she considered various options before choosing what was best for her: coming home to Atlanta. 

After graduating from Colgate University with a B.A. in educational studies and Spanish, Ms. Wanliss moved to New York, where she worked for FleishmanHillard. After taking the LSAT, she applied only to Emory University and was accepted. She will graduate in May 2023 and take the Georgia Bar Exam in July. 

"I wanted to be close to home while in law school," she said. "Going to law school in a pandemic was really tricky. My family and friends have always been there for me and their pride in me reminded me that I can do it." 

Balancing a full schedule is nothing new for Ms. Wanliss. As a HIES student, she was on the swim team from Middle School through Upper School and played lacrosse from seventh grade through her senior year. She was a leader in GirlTalk and was a member of the Student Activities committee. 

In college, she volunteered with Ophelia's Girls, a mentoring program similar to GirlTalk. Ms. Wanliss worked as a mentor in the school's Digital Learning Media Center, served as president of the Caribbean Student Association and was a manager for the Colgate men's basketball team. 

She traveled abroad with Colgate students and professors on two occasions: in 2016, she studied at Universidad CEU San Pablo in Madrid, where she enjoyed the opportunity to develop near-fluency in Spanish. In 2017 she traveled to The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. "I really enjoyed studying Jamaican culture because my family is Jamaican," she said. 

Her coursework with the Upstate Law Project sparked her interest in pursuing law school. The course examined the barriers that low-income and disabled families face in accessing social services and medical care, and included supporting a Syracuse, N.Y.-based attorney with pro bono work helping low-income children. 

She served as a summer associate at Akerman LLP and as a trademark intern for Founders Legal Bekiares Eliezer LLP, which is an area she is considering for the future. "I'm very interested in intellectual property law, trademarks, copyright and entrepreneurship," Ms. Wanliss said. 

As another educational journey comes to a close, Ms. Wanliss reflected on her time as a Golden Bear. She treasured her time with her friends, who are still close friends today, and teachers and mentors, including Keith White, director of multicultural affairs. 

"I love seeing my Atlanta friends, classmates and parents' classmates in the Atlanta area," she said. "I treasure those relationships and the camaraderie we had as students."

— Christina Mimms