Kelly Jaksa

Kelly Jaksa, LCSW, has been a social worker since 1988 and obtained her MSW from Boston University in 1994. Kelly worked with children, adolescents and their families for 13 years in community, residential, school and hospital settings. From 2002 until 2008, Kelly was the community mental health liaison for the University of Maine’s School of Social Work Program. She was a field instructor for 25 students. She was awarded Field Instructor of the Year in 2008. Kelly began teaching in the Social Work Program in 2005 as an adjunct faculty member and never left. Kelly teaches in the practice sequence and internship sequences at both the BSW and MSW levels. In 2020, Kelly earned the Outstanding Faculty/Teaching Award for the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture (now College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences).  Kelly believes that teaching is a privilege and that her genuine connections with her students helps her to learn and grow from each interaction. Kelly has been the BSW Program Coordinator since 2010. Kelly is often heard telling people she has a “dream job” and genuinely is grateful for the privilege and opportunity to teach social work students and be a role model for future social workers.