Logan Manderscheid credits mentor program for success

As Logan Manderscheid tells it, his path to success hasn’t been a straight line. But as he nears the one-year anniversary of starting his own law firm, he appreciates every twist and turn that got him there just a little bit more.

Manderscheid, a Doorways (now Take Stock in Children) scholarship recipient, and St. Petersburg High School class of 2010 graduate, credits the hundreds of hours spent with his mentor in middle and high school, as well as the long-standing teacher relationships, as some of the main reasons for his success. And he says he likely wouldn’t be where he is today without them.

“I had a pretty turbulent home life, between different things going on with family members and always being on the move, so it never felt easy or settled,” said Manderscheid from the campus of his alma mater. “So having a mentor is always something that grounded me.”

Despite his parents’ divorce and losing his childhood home to a house fire in 2001, Manderscheid had some of the best years of his life in high school. Forging a similar path as his father, also a St. Petersburg High graduate, he was active in the debate club and National Honor Society. A self-described “nerd,” Manderscheid always had his sights set on attending the University of Florida and then practicing law.

“School was a big focus of mine, keeping my grades up” he said. “I always knew I wanted to go to law school and follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

Manderscheid said his mentor was there every step of the way. The two would play chess, eat lunch and talk about books. At various points in middle school, Manderscheid said his interest level fell, but even still, it wasn’t lost on him that someone was taking time out of their day to be a positive influence.

“When there’s someone who doesn’t have to be there, someone outside of your family, who takes an interest in your life, I think it’s really important for young people to have that,” Manderscheid said. “I think even if you don’t realize the value then, you do down the road.”

Manderscheid graduated from the University of Florida in 2014 and went on to attend Stetson University College of Law. He then took a position as a prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office before becoming a criminal defense attorney for a private firm. Unfortunately, his dream of practicing with his dad was never realized. His father passed away his final year of college.

“Obviously, there’s things that happen in life, but if you stay the course and keep your eye on what your ultimate goals are, you end up there,” Manderscheid said.

In 2024, Manderscheid started his own firm, The Manderscheid Law Firm. The timing wasn’t perfect. He had a toddler and a two-week-old baby at home, but he says he is proud to know he has something of his own that allows him to take care of his family while also growing his business.

“It was very stressful, but I’ve just kind of taken it one week at a time,” said Logan, who has been married to his wife, Angela, a Palm Harbor University High School grad, for four years and has two children, ages 2 and 11 months. “Luckily, the firm has been doing well, so that has been an amazing experience.”

In an effort to give back to the program that helped shape him, Manderscheid is now looking to match with a mentee from the Take Stock in Children program. His goal – to provide the support, stability and positivity his mentor provided to him for so many years.

“I had nothing but positive experiences with Pinellas County Schools – I had a lot of teachers along the way who I am still connected with who really invested in me and made a really big impact on my life,” Manderscheid said. “I want that sense of purpose for my own life – to be able to positively influence someone.”

Manderscheid continues to wind and twist through ups and downs – he lost his 27-year-old sister last year – always trying to trust the path. One benefit to owning his own firm: if he needs to “clock out” at 1 p.m. to spend family time with his young kids, he now has that luxury.

“Once you get out of high school, life starts moving really fast,” he said. “And it definitely does not slow down.”