Kelsey Stavseth

I currently serve as the Executive Director at Northeast Kingdom Human Services in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I am responsible for overseeing the clinical, financial, strategic and community engagement operations and activities of the organization, which employs over 500 people. Our mission is to empower individuals, families and communities by promoting hope, healing and support. This mission and the embedded values embraced by our organization mirror many of those held by St. Mike’s. I can draw a direct line between my work today and the mission of our College. I feel that many of the skills and abilities I have developed in the past 15 years are a direct result of my experience at St. Mike’s.

After graduating, I spent time doing various things, including traveling to New Zealand, serving in Americorps and being a raft guide and ski patroller (highly recommended). However, I have always been pulled towards relational work and service-oriented professions. Giving back to my community, something St. Michael’s impressed upon me, is essential to how I want to be in my community. My career, which included working at Howard Center and Lund in the Burlington area, coupled with my education at both St. Michael’s College (Math/Economics) and Champlain College (MBA) have prepared me well to serve and support the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Although I am not working directly in a math related field, the critical thinking, problem solving and analytic approach required for many of my classes has been instrumental to my success and ability to navigate the many challenges of addressing Mental Health, Substance Use and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities services. I am grateful to my professors, specifically George Ashline and Reza Ramazani, for not only teaching me the critical skills necessary to tackle their, at times, very difficult courses, but also, and more importantly, how to be a good person. I have many great friends I am still in touch with because of St. Mike’s who I must also note influenced my current life trajectory.

If anything, St. Michael’s College left a lasting impression of the importance of community and service, while giving me the skills to be successful in the modern workplace. For that, I will always be grateful. Feel free to reach out (kstavseth@nkhs.net) if you are interested in the connection between math and social services or if you are just curious – always great to connect with others from St. Mike’s!