LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kelly Golden's nominator would like to remain anonymous.

Mrs. Golden has been a driven, lifelong learner.  As a young girl, she always knew education was the key to her success. Coming from a troubled home, Mrs. Golden left her mother's house at age fifteen, but never let life's obstacles stand in the way of her goal.  She graduated in the top ten students in her high school class, completed her undergraduate program early, and finished her first Master's Degree by the time she was 22 years old.

In her first teaching position, she worked in a school with many challenges.  In the ten years Mrs. Golden worked there, the school lost at least one student per year for a variety of reasons. One year, they lost four students. These tragedies inspired Mrs. Golden to pursue a second Masters Degree in Counseling and CAGS in Mental Health.

Leaving teaching to pursue her licensure, Mrs. Golden decided to work with some of the neediest populations in her surrounding urban areas doing home-based community counseling.  Her new goal was to integrate mental health support in education programs.  By establishing strong relationships with children and their families, she was seen as an ally in their pursuit of health and wellness.

After serving as both a clinician and clinical supervisor in community mental health, Mrs. Golden returned to the school community to make connections from students' homes and families to the school building. Mrs. Golden helped facilitate countless programs and initiatives to support mental health and wellness as one of only three administrators to open a community school.  From supporting new faculty to aiding families in need, Mrs. Golden took the helm of a developing school community.

Today, Mrs. Golden has moved into yet another school district to serve as the first Licensed Mental Health Counselor ever hired in a Rhode Island public school district. She provides clinical support and psychological evaluation to the middle and high school population. She continues on her mission to connect families, communities, and schools to supportive health and wellness.

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