Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) has named Christa Kirksey as its first recipient of the district’s School Social Worker of the Year Award. The award honors the individual who personifies the highest of school social work professional standards and demonstrates creative leadership and service within the professional and wider community. Kirksey, who is a licensed clinical social worker with nearly 30 years of experience, works in the Parkview Cluster. She and Laura Eubanks, who has served as a GCPS social worker for 16 years and has been a licensed clinical social worker for 27 years, were finalists for the award.

Kirksey is humbled by the honor. “I am truly blessed to be working with students and their families, even while navigating their most stressful moments,” Kirksey said. “The relationships created in this job have allowed me to continue this work through some of the most challenging times (like the pandemic). For me, the why always has been and always will be about the children. Children are absolutely amazing… from their sense of humor and resilience to their growth and learning. This is my why and it drives me to keep doing this very important work.”

Eubanks, who works in the Mill Creek Cluster, also has a passion for helping others. “Being a social worker is more than a degree, a title, or job description… it’s a gift to serve others, pave the way, advocate, and make a difference,” Eubanks said. “The profession requires strong leadership skills, sound clinical judgment, professionalism, excellent communication and relational skills, and the ability to navigate and advocate through a variety of circumstances. While our role is very much behind the scenes, we are a backbone of support for the schools.”

During her 27 years of service, Kirksey has worked in the Berkmar, Grayson, Meadowcreek, and South Gwinnett clusters. In addition to supporting individual students, she has conducted several student groups in the areas of life skills, conflict resolution, attendance, and team building. She also has supervised and mentored master level social work interns from various local universities; served as a GCPS representative for the Gwinnett County Juvenile Court Fire-setters Intervention Team and the Gwinnett Local Intra-Agency Planning Team. Kirksey has earned numerous awards including the 2009 School Social Work Association of Georgia (SSWAG) Presidential Award; 2010 SSWAG School Social Worker of the Year Award; and the 2013 Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce Valor Award.