Kyle Fraser, ’21, added the title “sole survivor” to his resume after becoming the latest champion on CBS’s long-running reality-television competition Survivor, which recently finished airing its 48th season.
In addition to his new title, he brought home a $1 million cash prize.
“A month and a half after the show wrapped, I married the love of my life, ” said Fraser, an associate at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC in New York. “Beginning our marriage with this prize has been incredible. I also plan to use the money to take care of my parents and brother in the hopes of building a foundation that generations of our family can benefit from; a foundation that, in the past, we’ve never had the chance to have.”
Fraser’s win marks the second time a member of the Michigan Law Class of 2021 competed in front of a worldwide television audience. In 2023, James Pierce, ’21, participated as a contestant on season 20 of The Bachelorette, one of ABC’s megahit reality shows.
Resilience is the name of the game
While at the Law School, Fraser was a senior editor for the Michigan Law Review and won a number of awards, including third place in the Campbell Moot Court Competition, the Irving Stenn Jr. Award for leadership and campus involvement, and the Carl Gussin Memorial Prize for Trial Advocacy.
He also met his wife, Maggie Turner, ’20, through his time in the Law Quad. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple, who were dating then, quarantined with Turner’s family for three months. Her family, longtime fans of Survivor, introduced Fraser to the show, and he became fascinated by the contestants’ ability to navigate athletic, intellectual, and social challenges all in one game—a trifecta he wanted to try.
After graduation, feeling confident he possessed the right skillset to participate in a challenge like Survivor, he decided to apply. A year and a half later, while working as a clerk on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, he got the call and packed his bag for Fiji.
“Getting thrown into the jungle is similar to law school,” he joked. “In each circumstance, you’re learning a new language and way of thinking according to the environment. Resilience is the name of the game, and getting used to being uncomfortable is the first step. That’s exactly what my Survivor experience called for.”
New seasons
Fraser’s time on Survivor 48 allowed him to exercise his physical, mental, and social strengths, but he was surprised when he began honing his emotional skills as well.
Being vulnerable has, at times, been challenging for Fraser. However, spending weeks in the jungle and having no contact with the outside world forced him to sit with his thoughts and emotions more intentionally.
“I had deep conversations with people on the island about my life and future, and I’ve tried to carry that vulnerability back home,” he said. “There are a lot of stereotypes that come with men and men of color that make opening up feel more difficult. This experience helped me debunk those stereotypes within myself, and I feel like I’ve stepped into a new season of life.”
Since bringing home his win, Fraser has continued to spend quality time off-camera with his Survivor 48 castmates.
“James [Pierce] and I have kept in touch since law school, and we’ve talked a lot about each of our experiences,” said Fraser. “From his time on The Bachelorette, he told me one of the best parts is developing new friendships, especially within these unique worlds. He was right, and I’m grateful to have become friends with people I might not have had the chance to know otherwise.”
Luckily for Fraser and audience members everywhere, he will have another chance to form friendships while putting his survival skills to the test: Just days after the season 48 finale aired, he headed to yet another exotic locale to film Survivor 50. The forthcoming anniversary season will air in 2026 and feature the largest cast in the show’s history, which is composed entirely of contestants from previous seasons.
“Getting the opportunity to compete in another season of Survivor is a dream come true,” he said. “No matter what happens, Michigan Law has played a pivotal role in my life, and I attribute so much of my time there to giving me the confidence to take on a challenge like this.”
