Don Wessels, a social worker with the DeKalb County School District (DCSD), is described by his peers as friendly, calm, hardworking, a leader, and a mentor. With a distinguished three-decade career, Mr. Wessels was recently honored as DCSD’s School Social Worker of the Year, which he received with love, appreciation, and gratitude from his colleagues.
The DCSD School Social Worker Department gives the award, which is determined by votes from department members during the nationally recognized School Social Work Week each March. The week culminated in a luncheon, where Mr. Wessels was announced as the recipient of this prestigious award for the year.
“It’s a great honor to be selected by my peers for recognition because each person in the social work department makes such a commitment to support children and schools in our county,” said Mr. Wessels. “It’s a special honor to be recognized as one of those people in our department.”
Mr. Wessels has dedicated his entire 32-year career as a social worker to the DeKalb County School District, primarily at Lakeside High School. Before joining the District, he was a juvenile court probation officer for 15 years. His decision to become a social worker was somewhat inspired by his grandmother, who had hoped he would become a pastor. However, he chose a different path to inspire and bring hope to others.
“I think she would realize that the kind of work that social workers do is certainly in the pastoral sense—it’s a very similar occupation,” said Mr. Wessels.
Discussions with his colleagues about their experiences working with Mr. Wessels made it clear that he is a spiritual leader. He consistently encouraged and inspired them to give their best while serving the district’s most vulnerable students. Two years after Shelly Bishop was promoted to Lead Social Worker, Mr. Wessels told her that she was destined for the role she held.
“He enlightened me in the moment. It’s not about the revelation; it’s about who pours into you,” said Ms. Bishop, now the Coordinator of Social Work Services. “Don and I never really worked together because we served different areas of the District. He didn’t know me per se, but he was always so friendly to me. It is a well-deserved honor for him.”
DCSD Lead Social Worker Katina Watts said Mr. Wessels was one of the first people to welcome her when she first came to the District and has been a calming reinforcement for her throughout her career.
“It’s always nice to hear a soft voice amid a [crisis], ” said Ms. Watts. “When I’m in the midst of a crisis, I look for Don because Don is going to make it calm, and that’s one of the things I love about him. I appreciate his wisdom and knowledge; he has so much information to give.”
Mr. Wessels believes that everything he does and every word he speaks is aimed at helping DCSD students succeed academically and socially. He credits his effectiveness as a social worker to the District’s commitment to finding ways to support student success.
“The needs that children have outside of school are so great and so impactful. As a student social worker, we have helped students through times of stress and difficulty,” he said. “We support families and give feedback to administrators and classroom teachers so that they have an idea of what the children’s needs are outside the school, and take that into account when supporting children.”
Mr. Wessels is nearing retirement, and he hopes that when that day arrives, his colleagues and the students he has helped will remember him as a strong advocate for the District’s school social work department.
“I hope they will say that I have worked with administrators, teachers, counselors, and especially children to help them improve,” he said. “I hope they remember me as a force for improving the lives of students and their families.”
