A future in public service

Amanda Demaree Wayne is this year’s President’s Medallion recipient

Amanda Demaree Wayne has always believed that her future was in public service. “I knew that I wanted to work in child welfare and the systems that impact the lives of our most vulnerable populations,” she says. “Law was a pathway to service that would allow me to serve these children and also provide the knowledge that I hope to one day use to influence both legislation and litigation.”

In fall 2023, the School of Law chose Wayne as its 2023–24 President’s Medallion recipient.

What are you planning to do with your degree?

Upon graduation and passing the bar, I intend to pursue work at the Indiana Department of Child Services as an attorney. I would like to eventually become a magistrate and then run for Congress. Loyola’s ChildLaw program and courses have given me the skills and knowledge to make these dreams a reality. The law community’s commitment to social justice and reform ensures that [during] every stage of my career, I will be aware of the potential consequences that legislation and litigation have on minority communities and will be awake to the ability to mitigate or erase those consequences through activism.

Tell us about your community service and extracurricular activities.

I helped with Loyola’s Domestic Violence Practicum through the law school, assisting domestic violence survivors with legal advice. I am working as a student attorney with Loyola’s Civitas ChildLaw Clinic, offering legal services to children involved in child welfare or domestic relations courts.

What kind of research do you conduct?

As part of the Legislation and Policy Clinic, I worked with faculty to identify and address challenges specific to dual-status youth, which are youth involved in both the juvenile [justice] and child welfare systems. The practical application of this research may result in legislative reform that seeks to shield youth from the negative impacts of involvement in these systems and provide additional constitutional safeguards to them and to their families.

“Loyola’s ChildLaw program and courses have given me the skills and knowledge to make these dreams a reality.”

Tell us about the scholarship support you’ve received from Loyola.

I have been so fortunate to have received scholarships from the ChildLaw Fellowship and also a stipend that funded my ability to volunteer my 1L summer to a domestic violence shelter and the legal needs of the families fleeing domestic violence. 

In addition, I was honored with the Bran Harvey Opportunity Scholarship, whose namesake was a man whose heart and hustle endeared him to his colleagues. 

These scholarships have meant more than I can describe. I am a wife and a mother to two grade-school children. These scholarships meant that I could spend at least some of these last two years with them instead of worrying about the crushing weight of [full tuition] and finding a job that could offset some of the costs. It meant that I could focus on service rather than on paychecks. It means that, going forward, I can invest in their futures as the next generation of volunteers. 

What has been the most memorable part of your Loyola experience?

My favorite experience has been walking into a building that before would have terrified me and feeling that I belong. For some, it seems an impossible dream to join those ranks without a silver spoon or a powerful connection. I have learned, though, that the law is available to all so long as you are willing to do the work and dare to seek admittance. –Kristi Turnbaugh (October 2023)