Brooklyn Middle STEAM School’s Kayla Schilling named Minnesota Social Worker of the Year

Brooklyn Middle STEAM School’s (BMS) social worker, Kayla Schilling, has recently been named Minnesota Social Worker of the Year through the Minnesota School Social Work Association. 

Schilling was nominated by some of her co-workers at BMS for the award and said she felt “really honored” to be chosen and recognized by her peers, even if public recognition isn’t the impetus behind her work. Schilling will be formally recognized at a Minnesota School Social Work Association event in Coon Rapids May 29. 

Schilling went into social work after a related college class piqued her interest in the career path. She double majored in psychology and social work for her undergraduate degree, then went on to earn a master’s degree in social work. While she originally didn’t intend to pursue school social work, an internship experience changed her mind, and she has now been on staff at BMS since 2021. Schilling said she loves how the school setting often allows a longer timeframe to build relationships with clients than some other settings allow for, such as in hospitals. 

On a typical day, Schilling works with both special education and general education students and said she spends a lot of time helping students work through feelings and emotions but also on helping to ensure students have the resources they need to be successful inside and outside of the classroom. 

“Kayla’s heart shows in so many ways, she always puts students and families first,” said BMS Principal Kim Monette. “She is endless in her desire to ensure that students and families’ needs are met, are cared for, safe and always know that they belong. She is one of a kind!”

“I truly do this because I love these students,” Schilling said. “I want them to know that they have a person here to support them, especially in middle school, which can be a challenging time in a child’s life. You see such a growth from sixth to eighth grade.”