Amy McKlindon '09
Our 2009 JFK Awardee is pursuing her dream career as a child welfare advocate
Our 2009 JFK Award winner, Amy McKlindon '09, is pursuing her dream
career as a child welfare advocate. Currently Amy studies ways of
improving the lives of at-risk children at
Child Trends in Washington,
DC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research center dedicated to fostering the
well being of children of all ages.
Amy graduated in May, 2009 from the College of Human Ecology with a degree in Policy Analysis and Management. Her focus on Family and Social Welfare Policy prepared her well for her career choice. After acquiring practical, hands-on experience at Child Trends, Amy plans to return to school to earn a joint degree in law and social work. With this background she will be poised to become a law guardian and be able to achieve her dream of amending juvenile and family law procedures. “My ultimate goal is to impact large-scale policy changes to better serve at-risk youth and their families,” Amy declares. “I want to dedicate my career to insuring that those small voices are heard.”
Amy grew up in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, the oldest of three McKlindon
children. Both her parents work in the health care field, her father as
a dentist and her mother a nurse. For inspiration in dedicating her life
to helping others, Amy credits her mother’s generous and giving nature
-- both in her professional life and in the sensitive and competent ways
in which she has cared for Amy’s grandfather.
While at Cornell, Amy was the primary author of a research brief
studying children living in the foster care of their grandparents. Her
guide to resources on this subject will be used, budget permitting, by
policymakers and practitioners throughout the state of New York. In
addition, Amy’s proposal for a research guide outlining ways to help
children whose parents are in prison has been widely praised for its
insightful, comprehensive, and useful approach. When written up, the
guide is expected to be a key tool in the field.
Clearly Amy is a gifted researcher and writer, but that is not all. She
is also an empathic young woman able to work effectively with
multi-racial clients of many socioeconomic backgrounds and ages, from
grade-school youngsters to the elderly. Amy’s flexibility and openness
distinguished her as a leader in her work with a variety of ethnic
groups in New York City, Ithaca, and Edinburgh, Scotland – where she
spent a semester studying and working in child welfare.
While at Cornell, Amy participated in numerous extra-curricular
activities. She helped found SMILEY, a student group aimed at fostering
community, leadership, and confidence in adolescents. She was a member
of the Cornell
Peer Review Board for several years, becoming its
Chairperson for a term. While maintaining her place on the Dean’s List,
Amy found time to volunteer with the Cornell Elderly Partnership, teach
for the Cornell Prison Education Program, and also work as a REACH Tutor
in the Gossett Residential Facility. Through these endeavors and as a
teaching assistant for
Collaborative Leadership [video], Amy honed her
skills, effectiveness, and ability to manage competing responsibilities.
Amy is the recipient of several academic honors, including the Cornell
Tradition Fellowship and Cornell Urban Scholarship. She was chosen as a
Truman Scholarship National Finalist 2008 and is a member of Kappa
Omicron Nu and Golden Key honor societies.
Singled out by her Department as a
PAM Outstanding Senior for displaying
“the highest character and achievements both on and off campus,” Amy was
recognized for her leadership abilities and the contributions she made
to the Department of Policy Analysis and to the campus community during
her time at Cornell.
Upon graduating, Amy concluded her two and a half year research project
for the Parenting in Context and Strengthening Families Project under
the supervision of her adviser, Rachel Dunifon, who described Amy as
"intelligent and mature.” Though she has received much recognition for
her ability and accomplishments at Cornell, Amy remains a quietly and
modestly self-confident soul, pursuing her goals with common sense,
discipline, and grace.
At our forty-fifth reunion in June, 2009, Amy addressed the assembled
members of the Class of 1964. She thanked us warmly for giving her the
means to begin the journey towards her dream of impacting juvenile and
family law -- and promised to keep in touch with us along the way.
January, 2012 Update from Amy McKlindon
After two years at Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, DC, I returned to my hometown in the Philadelphia area to start graduate school at Temple University's School of Social Work. My academic coursework, my field placement at Catholic Social Service's Northeast Family Service Center, and my work as a graduate research assistant all keep me very busy, and I am learning a great deal inside and outside of the classroom.
At my field placement, I work with a homelessness prevention program and pregnancy/parenting services, in addition to providing some individual case management.
Through my position as a research assistant, I support two faculty members on their research on father involvement and the child support system.
I am also informally mentoring two young women -- one is a freshman at
Temple and the other recently emancipated from DC's child welfare system
(I previously served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate [CASA] for
this young woman).
It has been a challenging and rewarding first semester and I'm looking
forward to continuing to broaden my knowledge and experience base. The
generous support of the Class of 1964, along with the tuition assistance
I receive from Temple through my assistantship, is allowing me to pursue
my dreams of child welfare advocacy and policy work without the burden
of excessive debt, and I will be forever grateful.
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