This summer, Kevin Allemand is starting toward his Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in history and political science at WNMU. For the past 15 years, he has taught social studies at Hancock High School in Kiln, Mississippi. “History is an explanation of the present. If you want to understand the world around you, you have to understand the past,” he says.
And now Kevin is working toward an advanced degree so his students also have expanded higher education opportunities. “I’m interested in teaching dual credit to better prepare my students for college and walk into college ready to take classes applicable to their major,” he says. “The goal is to prepare for a possible Ph.D. afterward but also to become the best teacher of the constitution that I could become.”
A James Madison Memorial Foundation Fellow, Kevin received $24,000 to attend graduate school and meet the latter goal. Based on recommendations from Madison Fellows who previously attended WNMU, he applied and was quickly admitted. “In choosing a degree program, I searched far and wide. I created spreadsheets looking at degree requirements and recent course offerings. The faculty have been helpful,” he says. “I hope to work closely with faculty of WNMU to comprehensively understand the United States Constitution and be able to articulate how social and political movements have influenced constitutional interpretation and how the constitution and constitutional interpretation has affected social and political history.”
Kevin’s master’s will be completed fully online. “I teach full time, chair the high school history department, drive a bus daily and sponsor two organizations on campus,” he says.