A Conversation with Gabrielle Stewart: Building Community Resilience and the Power of Purpose-Driven Work

Gabrielle Stewart is a leader whose career has been grounded in purpose, compassion, and a commitment to building stronger communities. As a current Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Kennesaw State University, Resilient Georgia has been her host site for her internship in her final year and we have been so lucky to have her! Gabrielle brings decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and regional collaboration to her work supporting trauma-informed practices across the state, including her role at Georgia Family Connection where she previously led the Building a Region of Resilience regional coalition in Northwest Georgia. In this Q&A, she reflects on her path into community resiliency work, the lessons she’s gained through graduate study and coalition engagement, and what’s next as she prepares to graduate and continue her journey of impact. 

• What attracted you to community resiliency work? 

My mom had a favorite quote: "We ought to be what we want to become." It was something she tried to live by and instilled in my sisters and me as we grew up. When I began my career in non-profit social services twenty years ago, I did so with the intention of making a positive contribution to my community. I wanted to become someone who created change and inspired purposeful action. So, I set out to be that. Since then, I have been blessed with opportunities to learn, grow, innovate, and work with a diverse group of people to improve outcomes for individuals, families, professionals, and the communities in which they live and work.  

• What inspired you to pursue a Master of Social Work degree? 

As Regional Manager for the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, I had the opportunity to serve as Project Manager for Building a Region of Resilience in northwest Georgia as the initiative was being formed. This work opened my eyes to how trauma, poverty, and systemic inequities interact to create complex challenges and barriers to community resilience. I developed a passion for resilience work and recognized the need for further education to make a more profound impact. With that in mind, I returned to school in the fall of 2023 to pursue a master's degree in social work, ensuring that my knowledge of behavioral health and clinical intervention matched the expertise I had developed throughout my professional experience.   

• What opportunities have the MSW program afforded you? 

Through connections from RG, I had the opportunity to intern with KSU’s Children and Family Program in my first year, joining their team in developing a Trauma-Informed Microcredential certificate program. This RG grant-funded initiative aims to enhance the capacity of Georgia’s emerging professionals to implement trauma-informed strategies. Not only did I get to deepen my understanding of trauma-informed care, but the experience also allowed me to interact with experts and increase my capacity to develop training and learning materials.  

• What have you been able to accomplish as an intern for Resilient Georgia? 

I would like to extend my gratitude to the leaders of BRRNWGA and Resilient Georgia, who have helped me become the person I aspired to be by supporting me throughout the last two years of the KSU MSW program.  

In my second year, I’ve had the pleasure of serving with Audrey, Nikki, and Alex supporting the dedicated leaders of Resilient Georgia coalitions across the state. As their intern, I’ve been able to provide technical assistance, help streamline the reporting process, develop a coalition implementation data collection tool, research and create community resource materials, and develop and facilitate the Ignite! The Art of Coalition Building training.  

As my internship nears its end and graduation approaches, I am grateful for the experiences I have had and the connections I have made. I know they will prove invaluable as I transition back into the workforce and continue my efforts to make a positive contribution to my community.  

• What’s next after graduation? 

As my internship nears its end and graduation approaches, I am grateful for the experiences I have had and the connections I have made. I know they will prove invaluable as I transition back into the workforce and continue my efforts to make a positive contribution to my community. My subsequent pursuit is to leverage new skill capacities and existing skill sets to provide a range of personalized coaching, technical support, and facilitation services designed for individuals, teams, organizations, coalitions, and communities to tackle systems issues and challenges effectively.  

I look forward to staying engaged with the inspiring coalition leaders and partners in the Resilient Georgia network and invite you all to utilize me to strengthen your coalitions and their capacity to collaboratively implement transformational change. I encourage you to contact me on Linked In or via email.  

Stay Connected! Partner with Gabrielle in Your Community Resilience Efforts 

Gabrielle’s story is a powerful reminder of how lived values, continued learning, and community connection can come together to drive transformational change. From her roots in regional collaboration to her upcoming transition back into the workforce, she remains committed to supporting individuals and organizations in building resilience and equity. As she moves forward, Gabrielle invites coalition leaders and partners across Georgia to stay connected and continue co-creating strong, healing-centered communities—together. We highly recommend our partners reach out to Gabrielle if you are interested in consultation or contract work to support your nonprofit or regional coalition—her expertise, insight, and dedication make her an invaluable resource!