Toriona Coakes

Florida A&M University

Funded by: WFF Scholar Honorable Louis Stokes HBCU Scholarship

• 2024-2025
• 2025-2026

Toriona Coakes is the 2025 Honorable Louis Stokes HBCU Scholarship Award recipient! As the top-scoring WFF Scholar, she will receive a $6,000 scholarship instead of $5,000. Congressman Louis Stokes of Ohio funded our Co-Founder, LaShelle Williams-Franklin’s, college education at Howard University. Ultimately, this generosity and grace inspired the development of the Williams-Franklin Foundation.

Toriona Coakes, expected class of 2026, is from Stuttgart, Arkansas. Toriona is studying Political Science at Florida A&M University. In the summer of 2025, she gained valuable experience as an intern with The Law Office of Furonda Brasfield, PLLC, and as a member of the 'Angela Rye & IMPACT Strategies’ professional development program. In preparation for her senior year of undergraduate school at Florida A&M University, she has spent much of her free time studying for the LSAT and diligently composing her law school applications.

During her time at Florida A&M University, she has had the opportunity to serve as Vice President of the FAMU Chapter of SISTUHS Inc., serve as a Public Affairs Intern, and volunteer with local schools in the Leon County School District as a classroom assistant. She recently had the honor of being selected for the A. Rye Incorporated & Impact Strategies Policy Cohort to participate in the professional development program. She also takes pride in serving as a campus tour guide at FAMU, giving tours to families and students and educating them on FAMU's history and excellence. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue an accredited law school.