Poet, musician, social worker: Kathleen Duyck has done it all. She started her professional journey by earning a Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University in 1954 and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington in 1956. She also became certified to work in Oregon by the National Organization of Social Workers.
Immediately after college, Ms. Duyck began as an adoption worker for Catholic Welfare in Portland, Oregon, and in San Antonio, Texas. She held the title for six years before deciding to pursue her passion for music. She worked as a musician for the Tucson Symphony from 1963 to 1965 and as the principal cellist for both the Phoenix College Orchestra and the Scottsdale Symphony. Her positions led her to be very involved in her communities, where she enjoyed using her skills for the benefit of others. She served the Phoenix Art Museum League in a number of roles, and was the chairman and vice president of Family Friends Service. She remains the vice president of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Board and a member of the executive board of the Symphony Guild, among other positions.
Ms. Duyck shifted her career again in 1993, when she became a poet, and in 2011, when she became a member of the World Cultural Council. She holds both of these titles to this day. The former endeavor led to the publication of the poetry cassettes, “Visions,” in 1993 and “Visions II,” in 1996, as well as to the authoring of numerous poems.
To remain connected to her peers, Ms. Duyck is a member of the World Cultural Council, the International Biographical Center, the International Poetry Hall of Fame, the Arizona Cello Society, the International Library of Poetry, the International Society of Poets, and the Phoenix Symphony Guild. She is also affiliated with Women in the Arts, Phoenix Symphony Allegro, the National Library of Poetry, and several alumni associations. Further, Ms. Duyck was a member of the Scottsdale Cultural Council of the National Association of Social Workers, on the board of Catholic Charities in Portland, and a member of the Signal Society of Channel 8.
Ms. Duyck’s hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. She was honored with the Golden Poet Award from the World of Poetry, the Mozart Award, the Academician Award, and the International Merit Award from the Cambridge Ambassador of the Arts and Science Committee, among other accolades. She also received a variety of awards from the American Biographical Institute and the International Biographical Center. Additionally, Ms. Duyck was featured in numerous volumes of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, Who’s Who in the West, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who of American Women. She was particularly proud to be selected as an Ambassador to the World Forum of Arts, Sciences, and Communications four times.