ECHO PRESS — When Michelle Clark ’96 was a sixth-grader in Wadena, she was in an omnibus program for gifted students and two career paths held her interest — architecture and the legal system.
She soon discovered she didn’t like all the math that was involved with architecture, so the scale tipped to the legal field.
Mark Hansen, who later became a judge, was one of her teachers and as part of his class, he organized a mock trial, with students taking the parts of a judge, lawyers and others in the courtroom.
“It was then that I realized that being a judge can make a positive impact on people’s lives,” Clark said. “I made a decision this is what I wanted to do — be a judge.”
Last week, her childhood dream became real. She is Douglas County’s newest judge.
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After high school, Clark attended St. Cloud State University and majored in criminal justice studies. After that, she attended the University of Minnesota and enrolled in the university’s Indian Child Welfare Act Clinic, a four-credit program that focused on the child protection system for American Indians.
After graduating from law school, Clark became a clerk for Judge Tom Stringer in Otter Tail County, who became her role model.
Read more: http://www.echopress.com/news/4466180-childhood-dream-comes-true
