HER JOURNEY
Kaitlyn Samuelson chose TCTC because she wanted to earn college credits. At the time, her homeschool only offered college credit plus classes on the campus of a local university or through TCTC. Without transportation of her own, TCTC was the better option. She was interested in Forensic Anthropology, and TCTC's Biotechnology program was the right fit for her.
After high school graduation, Kaitlyn attended West Virginia University. In college, she grew more intrigued by cultural anthropology than the forensic side. She enjoyed learning about groups of people and how they structured their culture. Kaitlyn later earned her B.A. in Religious Studies & Women's and Gender Studies and her Juris Doctor at WVU.
HER WORK
Kaitlyn is a law clerk for the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Kaitlyn explains, "I help my judge look at the cases coming in, look at the law, look at the decisions that need made, write those opinions, lineup hearings, and listen to the attorneys' arguments. We handle criminal infractions under federal agencies such as ATF, DEA, EPA, and IRS."
In law, Kaitlyn often uses the knowledge she gained from the Biotechnology program. "In federal court, you see medical malpractice, pharmaceutical intellectual property disputes, questions of bioethics, disputes over evidence in criminal contexts, and more!" she continued. While in law school, Kaitlyn also had the opportunity to work in a hospital system as an extern, where there was an emphasis on OSHA Compliance. Kaitlyn recalled that the Biotechnology program prepared her for that in a way that other law students were not exposed.
HER THOUGHTS
"When people learn that you went to a career-technical school, they think of you as an underdog, and I love that. I think more people need to consider CTE."Kaitlyn feels that despite this perception, TCTC gave her an edge. She is extremely relatable when talking with blue-collar clients.
Her advice for students is, "Don't let anybody limit you or your options. I don't think college is the path for everyone, I really don't, but I also don't think you should limit yourself. If you want to do something, talk to the people at TCTC or your friends and Google it. And look at options out of state — people feel limited to geographic space and often limit themselves. I think the number one barrier people have is themselves."
Kaitlyn's ambition and drive to follow her passion will continue to guide her professional journey.
