I went into my first semester here at Saint Mary’s as a completely undecided major. At this point, selecting a major is becoming more clear and I’m beginning to learn about potential majors that would enable me to explore a field of study that I’m passionate about. Through researching the Saint Mary’s website and other online sources, I’m now interested in looking into social work. I have yet to take an intro course in this field, but I’m anticipating doing so next semester. Anthropology is a minor that I’m still considering, because I remain strong willed to learn about other cultures. In a social work major I’m interested in having the possibility of working in the field at treatment facilities and hospitals. Working with youth would be ideal for me. I think by taking classes in social work I’ll develop better communication skills, because part of a career in social work involves talking to people.
After looking on the Social Work website for Saint Mary’s I was surprised to learn that social work will be an increasing in-demand job by 2014. Since the elderly population in the United States will increase by that time, more social work positions will be opening because there will be more people to care for. Knowing that there may be a job available for me when I graduate is reassuring. I was also surprised to learn that 85% of students who graduate with a social work degree from Saint Mary’s attend graduate school. I always knew that graduate school may be a possibility for me in the future, but if I pursue social work, than it looks like it’s a going to have to be a reality.
‘Intro to Social Work’ is definitely a course that I’m interested in taking. This course will give me the basic background information about social work, and I think it will help me decide if this is a career path that I would enjoy. The course ‘Working with Diverse Populations’ also sounds quite fascinating, because I really enjoy learning about different people and where they came from. I think my Anthropology courses would help me in this class, because I already know some basic steps in observing different societies.
After reading student profiles I was surprised with the amount of opportunities that these student were given. A student named Anne majored in social work and got to practice in the field by volunteering at a facility called “The Sunshine House.” I would love to be able to volunteer somewhere and spend time with people who are struggling. I also read about another Anne who graduated with a degree in social work, and by reading her story I realized that social work jobs will be available in almost every area of the U.S. Anne works in the Bronx with families who are affected by child abuse. Knowing that Anne once lived here and was able to move to New York for her career inspires me to want to do the same. I have always wanted to move out of state, and the possibility that I might be able to really encourages me to want to look into social work.
If I were to write a resume right now I would include my experience in Key Club. This was a community service club that required its members to try and make a difference in society. I participated in volunteer activities such as nursing homes visits and park cleanups. In my next three years of college I would like to be able to say that I regularly volunteered at local facilities such as the Homeless Center of South Bend. I would also like to volunteer somewhere where I could interact with youth and hear their stories and learn where they came from. I’m excited to see where the next three years will take me, and to continue my journey of finding a career that I can have the satisfaction of saying that I made a difference in someone’s life.
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