2019 Lilly Scholar Madelyn Shelton

“My senior year was full of new challenges and experiences that have changed my perspective on many aspects of life. In the fall I was able to start my student teaching experience at Jeffersonville High School. I was excited to be able to practice the skills that I had been building in my education courses. My student teaching position resulted in two temporary full-time positions at Parkview Middle School and Jeff High where I taught 7th grade social studies and English respectively. During my spring semester (in addition to teaching full time), I was able to complete my undergraduate thesis for my history degree. My thesis focused on the Homefront in Indiana during the First World War. This was a passion project for me that I spent nearly a year and a half researching and editing. To date, this is the largest project that I have ever completed and I felt very proud of the final product.

Halfway through my spring semester I decided to take a leap of faith and make a career change. In March, I was approached by the Office of Representative Erin Houchin and asked to apply and interview for a position on Representative Houchin’s district staff. Though this was not what I had originally intended to do after graduation, I was very interested in the possibility of serving the public in a new and different capacity. Since late March, I have been completing casework as a Constituent Services Liaison in the Jeffersonville office. I am proud to serve the Hoosiers of the 9th Congressional District and advocate for their needs to our federal agencies.

In May, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hanover College with a double major in History and Secondary Education. While graduation was a bittersweet experience, I am excited for what the future holds and I look forward to growing in my new profession. After a short break, I plan to attend graduate school to obtain a Master’s Degree.”