My name is Jacob Christopher Hamilton, and I am a rising senior at Longwood University. I am a lover of the outdoors, motorsport, music, and enjoy spending free time with family and friends. I would consider myself to be self-motivated and a creative thinker.

I am finishing my senior year at Longwood University as a Social Work Major, where I have enjoyed my time connecting with other students and teachers as I studed my passion for helping people. I am a brother of Sigma Nu at Longwood and held office as our Recruitment Chair and Marshal.

In the summer intersession of 2022, I took part in my field placement at ChildSavers in Richmond, Virginia. I worked in the Immediate Response Team, where I was responsible for intake referrals and the associated paperwork within our system. I completed numerous trainings within this time, including de-escalation strategies, suicide and self-harm awareness and response, as well as a Virginia Department of Social Services training on becoming a mandated reporter. I was able to expand my leadership and research skills while coordinating with my supervisor to create a trauma-informed psychoeducational group for parents of traumatized children. In this time I was able to shadow while going to community RESET events (in the aftermath of a shooting, where social workers and police engage with the community to support and better understand their needs), crisis line calls to Immediate Response, as well as interacting with clients passing through the office or on crisis line responses in their own environment. These experiences culminated to be one of the most informative and powerful learning experiences I have ever had in my life, and reinforced my passion for supporting people through their hardest moments.

In the summer intersession of 2023, I took part in my senior field placement at the Counseling Alliance of Virginia. I began my internship as a community based counselor, which turned into a full time at CAVA in the same position in the beginning of August, 2023. While in my field placement I was given valuable supervision and time to shadow experienced clinicians, and while also being given a near full caseload as an intern I was able to support the front office in administrative tasks like referrals and other paperwork tasks. Within this role I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as being trained in Structural Family Therapy, to aid children and teenagers cope with a variety of mental health or behavioral issues in intensive in-home or mentorship services. Working with the talented clinicians at CAVA has been an outstanding learning experience where I have truly opened myself up to the amazing field of social work.