Kristin Harkison Paulus

Children's Book Author, Licensed Social Worker

Class of 1996 – B.S. Social Work

"When I came to William Woods, I knew no one and had come from out of state. The smaller size made it a great place to be able to get to know other students, and to easily connect with and seek guidance from instructors."

Kristin earned a bachelor of social work degree with a minor in Spanish while at The Woods, and was also on the softball team. She later earned a master’s degree in social science administration at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, she is a children’s book author.

Prior to having children, she worked for Child Protective Services (Department of Children and Family Services) in the greater Cleveland area and worked in medical social work in hospital, skilled nursing, home health care, and nursing home settings. She keeps her independent social work license current.

In March 2010, she published her first children’s book, "There’s a Lion on the Dance Floor", and has been promoting the book and giving presentations at elementary schools regarding the writing process. Her family is an integral part of why she wrote the book. She and her husband, Chris, have three children, Lauren, Zachary, and Ryan, (who was 3 at the time of publication).

Kristin is active in a variety of clubs and organizations related to her children, particularly a support group for caregivers of children who are missing a piece of their fourth chromosome. Her son, Ryan, has this disorder, called Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome. Her book is an attempt to teach children "how important it is to accept differences we see in others, that if we take the time to get to know someone we will likely have something in common and that nobody wants to feel left out."