WVU Law student passionate about community impact, student unity
WVU College of Law student Kaden Stenger (left) was a high school math teacher before setting his sites on the practice of law. He enjoyed challenging students to see new opportunities for their future as Mountaineers. (Submitted Photo)
For Kaden Stenger, a West Virginia University College of Law student, helping West Virginians has always been his mission, whether it’s in a classroom or the courtroom.
After attending the University of Pennsylvania, Stenger returned to his hometown of Martinsburg in 2022 to teach trigonometry and coach football at Martinsburg High School, his alma mater.
However, it wasn’t long before he found himself wanting to embark on a different journey.
“I got into education because I was tired of hearing kids say, ‘There are no opportunities for me in West Virginia,’” Stenger said.
WVU College of Law student Kaden Stenger mentors high school leaders at Mountaineer Boys State, modeling the kind of servant leadership that strengthens communities across the Mountain State. (Submitted Photo)
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“I was an economics major doing high-level calculus, which made it an easy transition to teach trigonometry,” he said. “Many of the students were seniors by the time they got to my class, with an already ingrained mindset that they had no capacity for growth. I got a little disheartened, but I also got more invigorated for my community. I looked around my community and some of the most inspiring leaders I knew were attorneys.”
In 2023, Stenger left Martinsburg for Morgantown to join his younger brother, Gavin, at WVU.
“I see the WVU College of Law as the beacon of the state for what is next,” he said. “We are the only law school in West Virginia, which makes us the breeding ground for future advocacy in the state. It is a rigorous program, and I have taken my licks along the way, but I’ve really enjoyed the strain, the competition, and the growth I’ve had from it.”
Though Stenger only taught for a year, the impact he made on his students is still evident. Many are now WVU students themselves, and don’t pass up opportunities to chat with their former instructor when they see him on campus.
Stenger celebrates with friends on game day in Milan Puskar Stadium. He regularly sees former students on campus and enjoys being able to transform former teacher–student relationships into shared Mountaineer pride. (Submitted Photo)
“When they first started seeing me, it was a little weird for them to spot their teacher out in public,” Stenger said.
“As they’ve gotten older — many are juniors now — they’ve gotten a lot more comfortable seeing us as peers. At this year’s Pitt game, completely by happenstance, my student section seat was surrounded by people I had taught, but that didn’t matter to us. We were all WVU students rooting against Pitt, and it was a wonderful moment.”
Though law school is time-consuming, Stenger said he believes in the importance of making connections with students of all ages and majors.
That sentiment led him to help restart the University’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter, his own undergraduate fraternity, as well as serve as a graduate assistant for the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, where he is an advisor and chapter management specialist over the Interfraternity Council.
Outside of campus, he also travels the country advising young leaders with Scouting America’s honor society, the Order of the Arrow.
Stenger continues his long-standing service with Scouting America’s Order of the Arrow, helping develop the next generation of ethical, community-minded leaders. (Submitted Photo)
He is a senior editor for the West Virginia Law Review, serves as the College of Law Representative for the Young Lawyer Section of the West Virginia State Bar, and was recently selected to fill the College of Law senator vacancy on the Student Government Association.
“One of my big hopes and dreams is to have undergraduate and graduate students interact more because we can all learn something from each other,” Stenger said. “An 18-year-old student can relate to a 26-year-old in law school. We’re all doing this together as students in the WVU community. Especially if you’re an attorney who represents clients, you need to be able to interact with anyone.”
While managing his extracurriculars, law study is still top priority for Stenger.
He and fellow student Sydney Eddy recently won the Lugar Cup, the WVU College of Law annual trial competition. He has completed two summer associateships at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC and will serve for a year as a federal clerk in the U.S. Northern District of West Virginia after his May graduation.
Though he’s unsure what law practice he’ll end up in, Stenger’s passion is to be in the courtroom advocating for clients who need him — a skill his teaching experience has aided.
Kaden Stenger speaks on a campus panel about community advocacy, student unity and the responsibility future attorneys have to serve West Virginians. (Submitted Photo)
“As an attorney, especially in trial, you have to teach a jury,” he said. “Knowing pedagogy, instructional practices, and best practices for teaching has been very helpful for me. Also, teaching a class meant I was on my feet performing for 45 minutes. It’s exhausting and having that endurance helps with law school and being a trial attorney.”
Stenger will soon marry his high school sweetheart, Makenzie, and they plan to settle down in Martinsburg, where he hopes to continue to advocate for his community at work and beyond.
“I love to help people,” he said. “No matter what, people need to get out of themselves and integrate into the greater community because that’s when the world gets better — when we’re doing things together.”
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