Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Yankey
Hi Madeline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started as an interior design major in undergraduate school. I wasn’t happy after my first year, and my suitemate told me about her major in the Criminology program. It immediately sparked interest in me, so I switched and started my second year as a Criminology student. Everything improved in my academic life after that. My grades, my mood, my motivation, all significantly improved as I found a new passion. After finishing school at WKU in May of 2020, I started working virtually with attorneys as a scheduler through Fidelity.
I never expected to go back to school, but during the beginning stages of lockdown, I reignited my passion for reading. I recognized the part of me that missed being an academic, and I started entertaining the thought of graduate school. After two years of full time work, I decided to apply for NKU’s Chase College of Law for their Master of Legal Studies program. After I was accepted, I stared just a few weeks later in August of 2022. Unfortunately, my father passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at 53, about six weeks into my program. After a lot of deliberation, uncertainty, and being appointed executor of his estate, I decided to double-down and continue both as best as I could.
At this point in November of 2022, I was working full time, managing a large estate hours away, and attending law school at night. This was a hard year, but I closed the estate and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December of 2023. I proved myself capable of hard things. I currently work full time for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. My primary responsibility is expunging criminal charges from the records of those that are having troubles with housing, education, employment, or all three. Through the Safe Haven project, we were also able to expunge the full record of three human sex trafficking victims in the county. I also perform research and writing on the appellate level in the First District of Ohio.
I am deeply satisfied with my career with the county, and also with the path I chose. I know being in this field fulfills me in a way no other path could.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My father died shortly after I began graduate school. He was 53, I was 24, and it was wholly unexpected. He had no Will, therefore I had to obtain a family lawyer in Fayette County, Kentucky to represent me as executor of his estate to properly pay his creditors and distribute any of his belongings. I did this while working full time and attending law school at night, for over 18 months. While the residual exhaustion is significant to say the least, I know now just what I am capable of, and there is not much that worries me anymore.
I also struggled with grades, and that is hard for me to admit. I am someone who prides themselves on being “smart,” or being perceived as “smart” by other people. I had to work very hard after my first year in undergraduate school to keep my grades high enough to maintain my eligibility as a student. Although this used to be something I saw as a burden, I see it now as proof of resilience. I took my time working in the criminology field and obtained my Masters with honors. My GPA was never a reflection of my intelligence, no matter how much it seemed so at the time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
After my father’s passing, I took in my family dog who was 12 at the time. I was living in a micro-studio apartment downtown, and Red is a German Shorthaired Pointer who was raised with us on a cattle ranch in Salvisa, Kentucky. It was a massive adjustment for both of us. I immediately found larger housing and realized Red was aging rapidly. His senility ended up being Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, or dog dementia. Red is still with me today, enjoying long naps and lots of food. Although his mobility is starting to decline, he is the happiest dog I’ve ever met, mostly because the first thing he forgot was the word “no.”
Falling in love with caring for my boy Red, I adopted an elderly cat (est. 15) with medical needs from the Cincinnati SPCA. Her name was Lexi, and for six months I provided her insulin morning and night. Although she was shy and quiet, I am so grateful she went peacefully in a loving home, rather than in the shelter she spent almost three years in.
Animals have always been a huge joy of mine. Growing up on a farm introduced me to animal ownership and responsibility at an age most don’t experience it. We raised chickens, cattle, pigs, and helped our neighbors farm sheep. Although I didn’t plan on bringing Red into the city, I’ve found such joy and comfort in having him here and I am so grateful I have been able to care for him.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My family matters the most to me. When you experience loss, everything else is stripped away, even for a moment, even for a week. Work stops, school stops, hobbies stop, and all there is left is your family and loved ones. Some of my most meaningful memories of my father’s services are when I would recognize faces in the crowd, and realize that they had never met my dad. They were just there for me. After this experience, I couldn’t put anything else first.
Contact Info:
