Jamie Westbrook and her husband settled in outside the Azle city limits in 1994. Westbrook is from Arlington and graduated from James Martin High School in 1986. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social work from Texas Christian University in 1991 and in 2002 she earned a Master of Science in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington.
At a young age, Westbrook felt a calling to help others. Westbrook recalls going door to door with a coffee can and collecting donations for The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Telethon — a live television event that raised funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In high school, her calling continued as she would frequently volunteer.
She started her social work career working for nonprofits and health related agencies. When her son started kindergarten, she took the summer off to figure out what was next in her career. She then discovered Communities in Schools, a program that places social workers on campuses in school districts. At the time, the program in Azle ISD was only in its second year. She applied for the program and worked at Forte Junior High for 12 years as the social worker for the Communities in Schools program where she worked with students helping them succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.
