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Alumna Kathleen Smith ‘12 visited Newton Country Day Middle School students as the final speaker for this year’s Middle School Alumnae Goal III (a social awareness which impels to action) Guest Speaker Series. Smith spoke to students about her career as a licensed social worker and mental health specialist at ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development) Head Start, a federally funded family development program that offers comprehensive services for children and their families.

Smith credited Newton Country Day with igniting her passion for service. As a student, she was part of the first-ever Sophie’s Place, a program hosted by Upper School students on campus in which they plan, prepare, and serve a meal for visitors from Hearth, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of homelessness among the elderly. 

Smith went on to major in History at Boston College and minored in Women’s and Gender Studies, where she discovered her path to social work. While at BC, Smith participated in 4Boston, a service organization whose volunteers serve four hours of community service each week with community partners in the social service, healthcare, and education sectors and engage in one hour of group reflection centered on community, social justice, and spirituality. Smith has previously volunteered for Strong Women Strong Girls, a mentorship program for girls in grades 3-5 with the goal of developing skills for lifelong success, and with the Big Sister Little Sister mentor program where she has been matched with her little sister for eight years. 

In her closing remarks, Smith encouraged students to lean into all the opportunities Newton Country Day provides for service. “Newton just really engrained Goal III in me,” Smith said to students. “You volunteer, you do service, you serve the community, you help the community.”