Undergraduate Engagement Fellowship recipient announced
Morehead State University's Office of Service Learning announced Lindsey Stidam as the Fall 2022 semester recipient of the Undergraduate Engagement Fellowship.
Stidam is a 2021 graduate of Rowan County Senior High School and a junior legal studies major from Morehead. She will complete her Engagement Fellowship through a partnership with Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and the Pro Se Divorce Clinic. Through the clinic, supervised students assist indigent clients with filling out the necessary paperwork to represent themselves and obtain a divorce. Without the clinic's help, most clients would not be able to afford the cost of a divorce. This project anticipates the implementation of protocols developed in the past year to provide clinics to the region at total capacity.
"I am thankful to have been accepted as an Engagement Fellow. This opportunity will help me to gain real-world experience tackling access to justice issues in the community," Stidham said. "I will be able to use the skills I've gained through the legal studies program to help people complete the paperwork to represent themselves in their divorce."
Laken Albrink, J.D., assistant professor of legal studies, is Stidam's mentor. Albrink received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. Her research focuses on child welfare law and sexual violence. She also coordinates the program's divorce clinic, which allows students to engage with real clients who would not be able to afford a divorce otherwise.
"I am excited to continue the work of Dr. Kelly Collinsworth (former associate professor of legal studies at MSU), who began the clinic," Albrink said. "Having Ms. Stidam as an undergraduate research fellow allows the clinic to serve many more individuals in Rowan and surrounding counties."
The Undergraduate Engagement Fellowship is available to students through the Office of Service Learning. Students are encouraged to apply regardless of their academic discipline. Projects can involve community building, health and wellness, civic engagement, etc. Applications will be reviewed and accepted each semester, but all recipients are required to participate in the Celebration of Student Scholarship. A stipend will help recipients to help them complete their project of choice.
Students interested in becoming an Engagement Fellow and completing a paid, service-learning project can apply online.
The Office of Service Learning is part of the Center for Career Development and Experiential Education. To learn more about the Center for Career Development and Experiential Education, contact careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2033.
For more information on MSU's legal studies program, contact the Department of History, Philosophy, Political Science, Global Studies & Legal Studies at hgpl@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2655.
