LEXINGTON, Ky. – A passion for her community and a call to serve led Madison Mooney back to Martin County, Kentucky. A University of Kentucky College of Social Work Master of Social Work (MSW) alumna, Mooney returned home to apply the training she received at UK where it mattered most, her hometown.
While at UK, Mooney connected with the UK Appalachian Center after receiving an invitation for students interested in returning to work in Martin County. Attending that meeting became a turning point.
“When I went to the meeting, I saw people from Martin County. People I had gone to school with and grown up with,” Mooney said. “It felt powerful to see people from home wanting to help their community and build something positive.”
Through that connection, Mooney became involved with the Martin County Water and Health Study, supporting research focused on the region’s long-standing water challenges.
Martin County has faced decades of issues surrounding its water system, including the coal slurry spill that occurred on Oct. 11, 2000. While the spill itself is no longer the central issue, its impact continues to shape how residents view the system and the institutions responsible for maintaining it.
“Today, there have been improvements within the water system in Martin County,” Mooney said. “However, trust within the community is still fragile. My work often involves helping bridge the gap between the community and the systems that serve it.”
After briefly working in Morehead following graduation, Mooney returned to Martin County to continue that work through the Water Collaboratory, a program focused on water systems and community engagement.
She now serves as Community Care Coordinator for the Livelihood Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), a nonprofit focused on community-based research and connecting people with education, resources, services and opportunities that can improve present and future livelihoods.
In her role, Mooney leads field work, mentors community engagement coordinators and works closely with residents to better understand community needs.
“Our organization focuses on meeting communities where they are,” Mooney said. “We spend a lot of time listening to residents – hearing their stories, challenges and ideas, and then connecting communities with resources and opportunities that can support them.”
Outside of her role at LiKEN, Mooney is active in several organizations focused on environmental advocacy and community engagement in Eastern Kentucky. She serves on the board of Martin County Concerned Citizens, a grassroots group formed in 2019 to elevate community voices around local water issues, as well as Friends of the Tug Fork River, which works to protect and restore the river that runs between Kentucky and West Virginia. She also serves on the board of Kentucky Watershed Watch, a statewide program that trains volunteers to monitor water quality and advocate for healthier waterways.
Mooney credits her time in the College of Social Work’s MSW program with preparing her for the important work she does today.
“My time at the University of Kentucky played a major role in preparing me for this work,” Mooney said. “Courses focused on community practice, research and policy gave me the skills I use every day.”
For Mooney, returning to her hometown was both a professional and personal decision.
“Oftentimes, for students from rural communities, there is pressure to leave,” Mooney said. “But my advice is to listen to your own heart. If you feel called to go back home and help create change, follow that path.”
Supporting students who want to serve their communities is central to the mission of the College of Social Work. Through initiatives like the KY E.D.G.E. (Education. Development. Growth. Empowerment) Scholarship Fund, the College is working to prepare more Kentuckians for careers in social work and criminal justice.
For Mooney, those opportunities can help ensure more students are able to return home and make a difference in the communities that shaped them.
“Social work touches so many areas of life” Mooney said. “Scholarships allow people to follow their passion and create meaningful change where it’s needed most.”
Today, Mooney continues working to support residents in Martin County while helping amplify the voices of the community she has always called home.
“If we want change, we have to be willing to be part of it,” Mooney said. “Social work gave me the tools to turn that belief into action.”