Our #WesleyanWednesday feature this week is Kristin Whitney ’06!
Kristin is an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney and prosecutes felony crimes all over Daviess County! While a student at Wesleyan, Kristin was a Brown Scholar involved in the Stanley Reed Society and the Wesleyan Players!
Learn more about her here!
Q: Tell us a little about your job?
A: As an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, I prosecute felony crimes committed in Daviess County- that includes everything from murder cases to drug possession and everything in between. Prior to moving into this position, I worked running the Rocket Docket program and prior to that I worked as a public defender for nearly a decade. My job is stressful, but exciting. Bringing some closure and justice to victims of crime as well as working to get help to families struggling with the far-reaching impacts of drug addiction makes my work challenging but rewarding.
Q: What teams, organizations, or activities did you participate in while at KWC?
A: When I was at KWC, I was very involved with the Wesleyan Players theatre department and the Stanley Reed Pre-law society. I was also a Brown Scholar, and between those groups and focusing on my grades and preparing for law school entrance exams, that kept me very busy! Stanley Reed was particularly exciting because we would take an annual trip to the National Poly Sci conference. My first airplane ride was on one of those trips, as was my first trip to Canada for the conference in Toronto one year. Those Stanley Reed trips gave me my first taste of travel and definitely helped cement my love of visiting new places.
Q: Why did you choose KWC?
A: My parents separated when I was young, and my father moved to Owensboro. Growing up, visiting him on weekends and driving past the beautiful big green lawn on Frederica just made me fall in love with KWC from a young age. When it came time to select a school, I had to make the hard choice to attend where I could get the best scholarships, because my family really couldn’t afford paying for my college. I was so nervous to come and compete for scholarships at Wesleyan, but my hard work paid off and I was awarded a full ride as a Brown Scholar. My hard work in high school made my dream of attending KWC a reality, and it was just as wonderful as I had imagined.
Q: Have you earned any degrees/certificates since graduating from KWC?
A: After KWC I attended The University of Kentucky College of Law and earned my Juris Doctor in 2009. I sat for the Bar Exam later that year and have been practicing as an attorney ever since.
Q: Are you married? Do you have any children? Tell us a little about your home life!
A: My partner Damon and I have an amazing daughter, Winter, who is about to turn two years old at the end of August. Damon and I actually met doing a production at Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, a place I found during my time at KWC, and we are both still involved there to this day. We actually took Winter to see her first production at TWO this past month, and it was so special to see her fall in love with our shared passion of theatre at the place where we met. Winter keeps us busy with lots of trips to the park and the library, and we also make time to travel and are loving making memories together in this season of life.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies?
A: While I’ve been on a hiatus from acting in local community theatre since I had my daughter, it’s something that I love and can’t wait to get back into when the time comes. I also have a deep love of travel and am so excited to show my daughter some of my favorite places, like the Pacific Northwest and London (to see her aunt – Morgan (Whitney) Pierstorff ’10). These days I mostly enjoy hiking or curling up with a good book.
Q: What is your favorite KWC memory?
A: I have so many- my first trip to Chicago with Stanley Reed Society had so many hilarious moments and cemented some lifelong friendships. The Mr. KWC pageants. Mud surfing in the
flooded Quad. Meeting all the new freshman as a KWC 101 Mentor. Doing Phone-a-thon in the basement of the Admin building- trying to be the highest earner for the night.
Q: What’s an interesting fact about yourself?
A: I’ve traveled to almost 20 countries across 4 continents in the past several years, and regularly visit the UK, where my sister Morgan (Whitney) Pierstorff ’10 currently lives.
Q: Why should a prospective student choose KWC?
A: The personal attention you will receive from your professors is unmatched. I remember when I when to UK Law- I was so nervous about how tough law school was going to be- and it was! But I very quickly realized that I was actually better prepared than my colleagues who attended larger schools- even the ones who went to UK for undergrad weren’t as prepared for grad school as I was. That credit is due to the professors and staff- like Scott Kramer ’87, Dr. Bill Conroy, Dr. Bradshaw, Dr. Marisue Coy, and others who helped mentor and guide me with personal attention and advice over my four years there. The classes were rigorous, but help was always available, and that cannot be said of many other colleges and universities.
Q: What advice do you have for future alumni?
A: This time is so special! I know it can be stressful thinking about the future, but I hope you are able to take some time to really cherish these memories and these moments. Wesleyan is a really special place, and you are lucky to be there. Your time will fly by, so slow down and enjoy it!
Q: Why do you donate to KWC?
A: I donate to KWC (not as often as I would like to!) because those exact donations helped change my life. I could not have attended without the generosity of those who came before me, and so it is important to give back to the institution that gave me so much.
Thanks, Kristin, for letting us feature you this week for #WesleyanWednesday! We are so proud of all of your hard work and we’re so glad you have fond memories of your time at Wesleyan!
Want to be our next #WesleyanWednesday feature or know someone who should be? Click here!