I met Kaitlin in 2003, when I was hired as a Passages teacher at the Community School (now Wayfinder Schools). She graduated that year carrying her baby in her arms. I remember being impressed with her fierce determination. She remembers one meeting of board members, staff and students in which, “the board members were sharing why supporting the school was so important to them. I remember thinking to myself, I want to have passion for something, like they have for this school one day. When I’m a real adult, I want to make a difference and have a positive impact on my community.”

Since then she has become a “real adult” who has just joined the Wayfinder School Board herself, has overcome formidable personal struggles, and is presently working to help others with theirs. She is part of a harm reduction and recovery team that meets people wherever they are in order to help them stay safe and to navigate the world they live in.

From this work Kaitlin is determined to make that world a better place, a place that has a place for everyone, a city that takes care of its own. 

Andrea Itkin lives in Camden