“My passion is to make our world a better place for children, youth, and families,” said Carol S. Kelly, Professor Emeritus, Child and Adolescent Development in the College of Health and Human Development. Since her retirement in 2007, Kelly has remained enthusiastically involved with CSUN. Whether educating to bring an end to child labor across the globe or reaching out locally to provide equal access to opportunity and education, each cause that compels Kelly’s attention has, at the heart of it, the wellbeing of children and families.
Because of her dedication to her profession, Kelly received the Lifetime Professional Achievement Award from the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice at the 33rd FICE (International Federation of Educative Communities) conference in Vienna, Austria in August.
The award also reflects Kelly’s belief in the power of mentorship. “The recognition took into consideration awards received through CSUN including the Outstanding Faculty Award, the Alumni Association’s Don Dorsey Mentoring Award, and the CSUN Mentoring award,” Kelly said.
Seeing that alumni, students and faculty would benefit from increased opportunities for community outreach, educational activities, programs and networking, Kelly also served as an advisor to help re-establish the department’s alumni chapter in 2006. But that wasn’t quite enough for Kelly--she also established the Carol S. Kelly Endowment Scholarship to provide assistance to students who wish continue on to graduate school.
David Wakefield is Chair of the Department of Child & Adolescent Development. He is also one of the founding members of the academic department which grew out of a long-standing interdisciplinary program. Wakefield met Kelly when he joined the CSUN faculty in 2000. “Carol’s belief and value that we all have a responsibility to make a difference in the lives of children and families resonates as one of the department’s core values,” Wakefield said. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be mentored by Carol and I appreciate her continued contributions to the university. She continues to be highly engaged in the life of the department through her contributions to our alumni association chapter and has supported numerous students financially through the generous scholarship she founded.”
“Carol’s legacy lives on in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development’s degree program,” Wakefield added. “She has tirelessly mentored students and faculty on being effective and caring professionals in the field.” Wakefield credits Kelly with the development of one of the department’s most popular courses--the course on Child Advocacy that prepares students to be ‘agents of change’ who impact children and families at both the individual and societal levels.
Right: Alumni and Emeritus Faculty together: Senta Greene, Carol S. Kelly and Kathleen Van Antwerp at the 2016 FICE conference.
At the FICE conference, Kelly also had the company of two CSUN Alumni, and former faculty, with whom she shares lasting professional connections. On the strength of their proposals, Senta Greene and Kathleen Van Antwerp were also invited to present to the FICE publication committee meeting during the conference.
“Senta is founder of Full Circle Consulting Systems,” Kelly said. “She works with many different organizations, has served on state committees, has testified before the United States Congress and has a wide range of international, national and local education and inclusion support programs.” Included in her significant international work is leadership in Jamaica’s Nathan Ebanks Foundation, a grass roots program to support families who have children with disabilities. The program serves as a model for similar programs being implemented across Jamaica and beyond.
Van Antwerp, Director of Programs for the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation of Los Angeles County, presented on youth outreach and community policing. “Her pioneering work in child development is receiving national recognition,” Kelly said. “All presentations had a sound developmental foundation, and I was happy that both Senta and Kathleen were invited. Like many alumni, Senta and Kathleen bring pride to CSUN and our Child and Adolescent Development Alumni Association.”
Underscoring the strength of Kelly’s mentorship, Wakefield added, “Carol is a visionary in terms of mentoring college students and helping them reach their potential. Her passion for providing students powerful and rich mentoring experiences, particularly regarding their choosing and actualizing their life career goals, is a hallmark of the department learning outcomes for students.”
About Carol S. Kelly:
Carol Kelly came to CSUN (then San Fernando Valley State College) in 1969. She provided key leadership in developing and implementing the interdisciplinary program in child development, and working across and beyond campus to strengthen the program which later became the Department of Child and Adolescent Development. Having established a legacy through her teaching, she continued to mentor students and alumni as an emeritus professor.
Kelly initiated a variety of programs including the Peace Expo at CSUN, which drew over 5,000 participants. In addition to serving as a representative for the United States to the International Federation of Educative Communities (FICE) serving on the international board, working in countries on projects and which focus on at-risk children. She has worked in countries including Romania and South Africa. Kelly’s exemplary work at CSUN led to her to be invited to serve as a senior consultant for the United Nation’s International Year of the Family. She created the CSUN Families Under Fire seminar based upon her UN work. A nationally known expert and award winning journalist were featured guests.
Every year, the Alumni Association presents the Alumni award to an emritum or retired member of faculty or staff who has demonstrated exemplary loyalty and support to the University. Because of her commitment to CSUN was the recipient of the CSUN Alumni Association’s Dean Ed Peckham Award in 2009 and the Don Dorsey Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2014.
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Jean O'Sullivan