Before settling on social work, I tried to follow in the footsteps of my mother, who is a registered nurse, by shadowing different departments in the hospital setting and taking on any opportunities available to me to expand my knowledge of the hospital field, such as attending C.S.I. Camp at the Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, Virginia. When I decided this was not a field that I wanted to pursue, I decided to fuel my deep interest in psychology and take on the social work field.
As someone who has had personal experiences in collaborating with the foster care system, I began with an interest in working under a foster care agency as a case manager. However, after interning at the Department of Social Services in Lunenburg County, Virginia, I realized that this was not the field for me and that I should reassess my interests, compassions, and goals. After interning at Lunenburg Department of Social Services, I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and took on an internship at Bear Creek Academy in Cumberland County, Virginia, where I quickly fell in love with the environment and students that I working alongside for an entire semester.
As part of my career plan, I would love to continue to work with children and adolescents as I continue to grow as a social worker. I would also enjoy staying in a setting similar to the school environment, especially the alternative education environment, when working with this population due to my overall love for the environment. Before returning to school for my Master’s Degree, I want to work to gain further experience and to give myself the time to further discover which field of social work would be the best fit for me.