UofL social work graduate finds purpose in path of service | UofL News
As the eldest of seven children, Louisville native Ka'Lynn Johnson has always been her family's de facto leader, coordinating all the family events, serving as emergency contacts for family members, marshalling needed resources for food and transportation. She didn't know it growing up, but this was ideal training for a social work career. "Social work really aligned with my desire to help people like those I grew up with find resources for mental health, financial assistance, food assistance, even scholarships for college like I found for myself," she said. Johnson, who earned a bachelor's in social work degree from the UofL Kent School of Social Work and Family Science in May, said she faced financial and family hardships growing up in the Portland neighborhood and debated whether to go to college. Fortunately, Johnson ultimately found her ideal path as a first-generation student at Kent School. She interned at the Department of Child-Based Services through Kentucky's Child Welfare
