William Adkins

Hometown: Whitesburg, Kentucky

Following his graduation from Cumberland College in 1996 with a B. S. in History, William Adkins entered the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, earning a J.D. in 1999. He served as Assistant County Attorney for Rockcastle County before opening his own practice in Williamstown, Kentucky.

He says, “Coming to Cumberland was not so much a choice as a blessing. The focus on my major was a stepping-stone to law school. The professors of the History Department helped me and were essential to my ultimate decision to go into law.” Mr. Adkins, who had been out of school for more than 15 years when he enrolled at Cumberland says, “We who return to school late are not often very confident. Professors Wake, Carmical, Pilant, and ‘Professor Fay Partin’ helped me gain confidence and encouraged me at a time I needed it. To them and to Cumberland, I am very grateful.”

Nathan Kinser

Hometown: Elizabethton, Tennessee

Nathan Kinser graduated from Cumberland College in 1999 with a B.A. in History and earned an M.A. in History in December 2001 from Middle Tennessee State University. While in graduate school, Mr. Kinser served as a Museum Technician at Stones River National Battlefield, working with archives and caring for the site’s museum collection.

Mr. Kinser says he chose to attend Cumberland because, “I liked the size of the school, the student-teacher ratio, and the fact that it came highly recommended. The history background I got at Cumberland gave me a good foundation for my work at Stones River National Battlefield and in graduate school.”

Jonathan Laster

Hometown: Tyrone, Georgia

After spending several years practicing law, Jonathan Laster accepted the position of Director of Online Education at Myers University where he develops and coordinates instruction of courses available over the Internet. He earned a B.S. in Political Science and English at Cumberland College in 1991, followed by a J.D. in Law at the University of Georgia in 1994.

In commenting on how his education at Cumberland College prepared him for his career, he says, “My English major convinced me that clear communication is important in every endeavor. My political science degree helped me understand how people pursue and use power. The liberal arts degree instilled a wide cultural knowledge that helps me relate to persons from disparate backgrounds. Some of the many excellent professors I had at Cumberland piqued my intellectual curiosity and nurtured a love of learning that buoys my efforts as an educator working in a new medium.”

Jeremiah Taylor

Hometown: Mount Vernon, Kentucky

Jeremiah Taylor, who graduated from Cumberland College in 1999 with a B.A. in History and English, is currently a James Still Fellow at the University of Kentucky, studying colonial America and the early Republic, with an emphasis on frontier/backcountry and material culture.

About Cumberland, he says, “There was never a course at Cumberland from which I didn’t learn something useful—be it writing skills or a greater understanding of human nature. I could not have picked two better majors than History and English—especially in light of what I am doing now. Both majors gave me invaluable core knowledge—knowledge about history and the literature which has both impacted and reflected that history. Most importantly, the dedicated faculty of the English and History Departments helped me hone my skills as a reader, writer, and critical thinker. I wouldn’t be much of an historian without this triad of basic but necessary skills.”

Robert E. Stephens, Jr.

Hometown: Whitley City, Kentucky

Robert Stephens graduated from Cumberland College in 1996 with a B.S. in History and Political Science and then attended the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, where the Juris Doctor of Law was conferred on him in 1999. He presently works with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy as an Assistant Public Advocate, serving as the Public Defender for McCreary County, Kentucky. He says, “My caseload is very high, but the work is rewarding. My clients range from juveniles charged with truancy to adults who are charged with capital crimes.”

Reflecting on how his education at Cumberland helped prepare him for his career in law, Mr. Stephens says, “It provided a solid bedrock for learning in law school, and for the rest of my life. Through my majors I gained a firm understanding of American history and government. Especially important in my chosen profession was a good understanding of Constitutional law. Working on my majors at Cumberland allowed me to see and appreciate the beauty of the freedoms it is now my privilege to help protect. The encouragement and personal example given by the professors and staff, especially in the History and Political Science Department, strengthened my faith, sharpened my skills, and provided a sense of family that I will carry with me forever.”