Keller Spotlight

----------------------Interview with Mr. Kaper---------------

The only one in his family to be a social worker; Mr. Kaper is above all a helpful, kind, and supportive person. He goes out of his way to be a accessible social worker to all students at Keller Junior High (KJH.) Read on to get to know Mr. Kaper more and to also find out how much of an AMAZING person he is!

Munya: What made you decide to become a social worker?

Mr. Kaper: I decided to become a social worker after my experience working in several jobs that focused on working with adolescences. When I held these previous job positions, I found myself wanting to do more to help youth succeed. It was during one of these positions that I felt that the profession of social work would be the path to take to help create positive change in a significant way. Adding on to that, I decided to become a school social worker because within the school system, I have the opportunity to work with a large population of diverse students that otherwise may not have the opportunity to receive counseling services. My passion is to truly help others become successful.

Munya: What does helping others mean to you?

Mr. Kaper: Helping others can mean many different things to me. The main thing to understand about helping someone is that it doesn’t always mean doing what the person wants or would like. As a school, we have covered this several times in the past two years. It can be easy to help someone when they’re requesting it, but it is still important to help them when they aren’t asking, or even at times reluctant for it. It is because of this we focus on the significance of not be a by-stander when you are witnessing someone having a difficult time, but instead be an up-stander and help advocate and problem solve.

Munya: What's something you want to achieve?

Mr. Kaper: I believe I would like to achieve what every other staff here at Keller would like to. To make a lasting impact on a student’s journey that will create a positive change in their life. Through providing structure, guidance, and knowledge, the hope is to create more opportunities for success.

Munya: Who inspired you to be a social worker?

Mr. Kaper: I wouldn’t say one person in particular inspired me to be a social worker, but more of the focus of the profession. I have always wanted to help others and to be a positive person in their lives. Working with the students is such a reward to me in that I get to go through life's journeys with them, even if that means just being someone who just asks how their day is going or waves to them in the hallway.

Munya: What's the shared problem that you help kids with?

Mr. Kaper: The common problems that teenagers have are mostly understanding school work, studying skills, and help with personal conflicts.

Munya: How do you help students with their problems?

Mr. Kaper: It depends on the problem to be honest. Some students are just wanting to seek out to a trusted adult to help them with friends' problems or personal stuff. Other students have a bigger problem that sometimes require our use to communicate with their legal guardian to help them.

Munya: Was being a social worker your dream job?

Mr. Kaper: I used to work with underage students who got locked up due to problems they've caused, and I also worked with students who's parents didn't want them anymore. Throughout those times, I just felt the need to help children.

Munya: Mention someone who created a big impact on your life.

Mr. Kaper: There's no one specific really. All people I've met were an impact on my life in a way or another. I appreciate anyone who trusted me, listened to me, and was there for me through hard times.

During my short time interviewing Mr. Kaper, I learned a lot. He said "Some of the hardship people go through help them become stronger than they were before." Those words of wisdom moved a lot in me. With people like Mr. Kaper, the world would indeed be a better place! Mr. Kaper has a charismatic personality that really makes him special. I'm so glad to know someone like him and we are all thankful that he's here at KJH!

Mr. Kaper isn't the only social worker that we have at KJH; we are also lucky to have Ms. McGinn, the 7th grader social worker. We can never forget the AMAZING things she does!