There is no greater privilege for
a teacher than to pay tribute to his/her student and, tonight,
I am especially moved to be able to do so for my beloved and extraordinary
student, Kathleen Kennedy Martin. To be able to participate in
some small measure in the transformation of a young person from
promising student to consummate and accomplished professional
is perhaps the greatest thrill a teacher can have. In the case
of Kathleen, this joy is amplified by another transformation that
has occurred- through the talent and creativity with which she
approaches her work, and the remarkable, courageous way in which
she has lived her life- she has also become my teacher and I,
her student.
Although
many of you know and love the “Dr. Martin” of today, to truly
appreciate this exceptional young woman, it is also important
to know the “Kathleen of yesterday,” –the foundation of her professional
self. When I first met Kathleen, she had come for pre-doctoral
clinical training to our Preschool Behavior Problems Clinic in
the Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University
of Chicago. Right from the start, we recognized Kathleen’s unusual
clinical sophistication and maturity. Her sensitivity to nuance,
her intuitive grasp of complex processes, and the combination
of self-confidence and openness to new learning with which she
approached clinical encounters were astonishing. Despite her very
junior status, we assigned her our most difficult cases and she
rose to the challenge with relish. And, oh the intense joy of
teaching her! Her passionate interest and hunger to learn made
each supervisory hour “crackle” with energy. Give her an article
to read and the next week she was back, burning with questions.
Talk with her about an approach to a clinical problem and within
hours she had tried applying it in a therapy session and was back
with a way to do it even better. Word of her talents quickly spread,
and she was soon invited to train in our neuropsychology clinic
and to be a post-doctoral fellow in our Developmental Disorders
Clinic. So, in many ways, Kathleen’s talents and thirst for learning
enabled her to “get” the best that we had to give. But Kathleen
not only came to us with a high level of skill, she also had an
“awakening” within our setting that, I believe, transformed her
professional future. The emphasis of her graduate program at the
Chicago School of Professional Psychology was on theory and clinical
practice rather than research. I believe that Kathleen chose this
route originally because she thought of research as something
“in the lab” that was disconnected from real life and real families.
But Kathleen’s introduction to clinical research at the U of C
(i.e., research designed to study clinical problems with direct
implications for improving the quality of life for children and
families) touched something deep within her—and she was “hooked.”
Kathleen was immensely drawn to the intellectual rigors of research
and passionate about its capacity to inform and be informed by
clinical practice. She drank it all in with vigor, seized every
opportunity she could to learn more and reveled in the process
all along the way. Kathleen’s exceptional commitment to learning
and unusual clinical prowess earned her our prestigious Zanvel
Klein Academic Award, generally reserved for far more advanced
students.
But, of course, Kathleen’s life did
not begin at the U of C. She comes from a small town in Minnesota
where the pursuit of higher education is the exception rather
than the rule. She has often commented that folks “back home”
often ask her “But what do you actually DO?” And so tonight, as
we honor Kathleen, it seems appropriate to describe her work so
that all who know her can appreciate its essence.
At the heart of Kathleen’s work is
her focus on sharing expert knowledge in a manner that is both
universal (always reflecting the most current scientific knowledge
and clinical best practices) and highly individual--never a pronouncement,
always a process. She counsels families, consults to staff and
trains professionals from around the world on standardized assessments
for children with autism. First--the families. When Kathleen counsels
a family at HAVE Dreams to understand, mourn and adapt to their
child’s diagnosis of autism, she not only enlightens (through
sharing her expert knowledge in a way that they can “hear”) and
comforts (through her ability to absorb the pain but not be diminished
by it)-- but also wisely, gently, patiently, guides them through
the struggle to grasp this information so that they can truly
and genuinely make it their own. And through her patient and enduring
presence throughout this process, Kathleen herself learns from
each experience—taking this newly gleaned wisdom on to the next
encounter. Thus, the cycle continues and, her knowledge is always
expanding, never static, and her joy in this ongoing process so
deep. Next-- the staff. When Kathleen consults to HAVE Dreams
staff, she introduces them to the nuances of clinical observation
and social skills interventions. She models for them how to have
high expectations for families and children (thereby inspiring
hope and optimism), while at the same time conveying a high level
of sensitivity to the struggles families face. Here, too, she
teaches (never preaches) and listens. She takes such delight in
watching these “lessons” take hold—nothing gives her greater pride
than to know that she has “launched” staff to carry out the work
on their own with confidence. Finally, when Kathleen trains professionals
on the ADI and ADOS, standardized assessments of autism, she goes
far beyond teaching specific technical skills. She pushes, prods
and listens (always listens) until each and every colleague in
that room has recognized the power and the possibility (both good
and bad) of the skills they have acquired as well as the responsibility
they carry for using it wisely and well in the service of children
and families. And of course, with her characteristic spunk, Kathleen
is never intimidated by the eminence of the renowned colleagues
she trains —its all about, its always about, the children, the
families. She is determined in her quest to ensure that all those
she trains recognize that we can only heal, study, guide, and
teach others when we learn to listen to our hearts and share our
own humanity in the process.
Kathleen’s influence and teaching
extend far beyond research and practice, however. Her grace and
courage in confronting very serious illness constantly amaze all
who know her. She has done much of her work while in great pain
and during times of medical uncertainty. But her characteristic
optimism and zest for life are undaunted (“how does she do it?”
we ask each other, “that’s Kathleen!” we reply). Whether its dreaming
up a project for HAVE Dreams children to make beaded bracelets
(always creative in stretching the bounds of the children’s abilities)
that can then be sold to support HAVE Dreams programs (and stringing
some bracelets herself despite severe chemo-induced arthritic
pain) or coming up with new and innovative ways to do social skills
groups, Kathleen’s energy, imaginativeness, sense of humor and
resourcefulness abound. Asked to squeeze in meetings between endless
cycles of chemotherapy--Kathleen’s response “not a problem, let
me check my calendar.” But lest you think that this positivity
reflects false cheeriness or “denial” of her illness, here too
Kathleen is heroic. She faces hard truths head-on and speaks openly
and honestly about her illness. With the unwavering support of
her marvelous husband, Scott, and beloved daughter, Anna, she
lives each day to its fullest, fiercely cherishing their time
together, whatever the future may hold. This Kathleen has done
intuitively and naturally, without realizing that she has unwittingly
taught all who know her enduring lessons about the strength and
resilience of the human spirit.
And so, tonight, HAVE Dreams wisely
bestows on Kathleen its award of excellence. For excellence in
service, teaching and character (her warm and generous heart,
infectious love of life, grace, genuineness, and abiding concern
for the welfare of others). We join HAVE Dreams in saluting our
dear Kathleen, for inspiring us to face life’s challenges (illness,
autism, and whatever comes our way) with a spirit that does not
waver. And, in acknowledging, that through her daily actions,
Kathleen Kennedy Martin, Psy.D,--clinician, teacher, mother, wife,
colleague, and friend--has ensured that the world is a better
place because of her and that our lives are immeasurably enriched
for knowing her.
Lauren S. Wakschlag, Ph.D.
University of Chicago
