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Katherine Kelly’s commitment to mental health began at McLean High School. Six years later, she has earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work and is preparing for a career in clinical social work.

While attending McLean High, Kelly held leadership roles in the school’s Sources of Strength and Our Minds Matter chapters, which support student mental health and peer wellness. She also created a wellness journaling initiative that earned her the 2019 Strength in Our Voices Positive Change Scholarship.

After graduating from McLean High in 2019, Kelly attended William & Mary, where she navigated the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic while completing double majors in psychology and kinesiology in 2023.

She also worked as a resident assistant and spent a semester in Dublin, Ireland, interning with an organization that provides disability services.

Kelly entered the University of Michigan’s graduate social work program after college. Her studies focused on dialectical behavior therapy, an evidence-based approach to mental health treatment. She was later chosen as the student speaker for the program’s commencement ceremony.

After graduating in December and taking several weeks to recharge, Kelly began searching for a position where she can apply her training and help others through clinical social work.

“Mental health has always been a deeply important part of my life, and I’m excited to now address critical issues in a professional capacity,” Kelly said. “I can finally pursue what I’ve been passionate about since high school: walking alongside individuals through their challenges and supporting them in building the lives they aspire to live.”