By SAM STEPHENSON
Co-Editor-in-Chief
The Meadville community kept former pre-law adviser Michaeline Shuman at Allegheny for longer than she initially intended.
After eight and half years with the college, Michaeline Shuman, the former director of career education and pre-law adviser at Allegheny college, left the school for a new opportunity at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Eight and a half years is in fact the longest Shuman has stayed at one college, something she credits to her love of the Allegheny community. While pre-law advising was not her original assignment, she took it on after her first year and held the position for seven more. In a phone interview Shuman admitted that there was no deep dark reason in her departure, but that it was simply the right opportunity for her and her family and she is looking for the next big challenge.
Though Shuman left after last year’s graduation, she remained in contact with several students well into the summer to help their transition to law school and any questions they might have.
“I met with Michaeline a number of times while she was serving as my pre-law adviser and she was always very thorough and very informative and very helpful,” said Alex Hurtuk, ’15. “A few times I emailed her just individual questions as I was going through the process of taking the LSAT and working on applications and she had a lot of great advice to offer…I would say all in all she was very devoted, informative, and helpful.”
A big part of Allegheny, for Shuman, were the students and faculty that kept her in Meadville.
“There is magic in the air because of the students at Allegheny,” Shuman said. “You have no idea how amazing that place is until you leave it.”
Filling her shoes is Kristin Mook, assistant director of career education and the new pre-law adviser to the college. Mook has been at Allegheny for a year and a half and is new to pre-law advising and the pre-law community.
Shuman said that Mook was willing and excited about the new position. To prepare for the new addition to her title, Mook has had informative interviews with the Pittsburgh and Duquesne law schools and will be attending a pre-law adviser conference in September.
Though Shuman left shortly after graduation in May, she was able to train her eventual successor and has remained in constant contact with her since she left.
“She’s been extremely helpful in the transition,” Mook said.
On Campus, Mook is getting extra support from Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Political Participation Brian Harward.
“Brian Harward, who also serves as kind of an adviser for the pre-law program has been helpful too,” said Mook. “So I had a long meeting with him, he gave me all of his materials, we’ve discussed what he used to do as a pre-law adviser when he was at a previous institution. So, thankfully, I’ve got a ton of resources.”
Mook, a Meadville native, received her undergraduate degree from Penn State Behrend and her Masters of Arts in counseling with an emphasis in higher education.
“I fully recognize it is big shoes to fill. Michaeline did some really really wonderful things with the pre-law program and the students know her and really respected her,” said Mook. “My hope is transitioning into this role that students just feel comfortable coming to me and also know that I’m doing everything I can to put myself into a position as good as an assistant to them as I possibly can.”
