Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has named Wendy Senior, Duluth Cluster social worker, its 2024 School Social Worker of the Year. The award honors the individual who personifies the highest level of school social work professional standards and demonstrates creative leadership and service within the professional and broader community.

     Senior, who assists with Human Trafficking policies, Department of Families and Children Services, Gwinnett Local Inter-Agency Planning Team (LIPT)/Children in Need of Services (CHINS), is passionate about her profession. “Being a first-generation immigrant to this incredible nation, I am blessed with direct experience of what it is like to assimilate and acclimate to a culture very different from one’s own,” Senior says. “I choose to use empathy as a lens through which I see my students and families every day. The only life I will ever live is my own, so I need to learn from others' experiences to assist in determining potential supports and solutions for their trials. One of my goals is to help individuals learn to find solutions for themselves instead of fixing the issue for them. If I did the latter, I would be failing them as I will not always be there to make things right.”

     Duluth High School Counselor and nominating School Social Worker Terron Miller says Senior gives her all every day. “There are too many amazing qualities that can be mentioned when discussing the impact that Wendy has had on our school,” Miller shares. “She is a resourceful, knowledgeable, responsive, and caring individual who has been a pillar for our school. Wendy is always available, outstanding at communicating, and willing to do what's right for our students and families.”

     Senior has been a GCPS school social worker since 2011. Her professional history includes supporting the Duluth High School Counselor Advisory Council since 2013 and serving on the LIPT/ CHINS teams from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, Senior began working to develop and implement a parent workshop for newly immigrated Latino parents, which focused on the needs and difficulties they experience and how schools can provide additional support and resources to ensure the success of English Learner students. Senior also served on a Department of Family and Children Services committee that created a statewide Human Trafficking Policy. She also served as chair, overseeing the education workgroup of more than 20 school social workers, school counselors, and administrators from around the state.

     Eric Davidson, Duluth High School’s principal, says Senior’s dedication is felt throughout the school. “Wendy goes above and beyond to serve the students of the Duluth cluster, particularly at Duluth High School,” Davidson shares. “She is instrumental in mobilizing family, school, and community resources to enable students to learn as effectively as possible. Wendy is a true professional who is always willing to go the extra mile to help her students. She is a great listener and always takes the time to understand the needs of her students.”