WKU Sociology & Criminology Alumni Profiles

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Michael Shelton '17

Michael Shelton graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017 with a double major in Criminology and Psychology and a minor in Sociology. While attending WKU, Michael completed an internship with the Warren County Department of Public Advocacy, shadowing an attorney who handled many of their juvenile cases.

After graduating from WKU, he took a gap year to determine what he wanted to do with his future. After his gap year, he chose to attend the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law. While at Brandeis, he mainly focused his time on education law and policy — interning for Jefferson County Public Schools, the Kentucky Department of Education, and doing research on textbooks about Special Education Law.

Currently, he is a Community Policy Strategist with the Louisville Urban League, a civil rights non-profit. They focus on the areas of jobs, justice, education, health, and housing. When asked about what he enjoys most about working there, he says, "I know that the work that I am doing is making an impact on families across Louisville." Michael has been working there since May of 2021 and in January of 22 he will serve as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law.  

One of his favorite memories with the Department of Sociology and Criminology was having the opportunity to create a juvenile justice diversion opportunity for kids in the juvenile justice system.

A piece of advice that Michael would give prospective students interested in entering the field of law is, "Don't be afraid to pave your own road." Since going into law school, he already knew he wanted to work in education law and policy and worked hard to find opportunities that would help set him up for success in the future. In regards to his journey, he says, "While it wasn't always easy and people sometimes questioned what I was doing, it paid off for me in the long run."