1. The People

The people I get to work with on a daily basis at my practicum are incredible. They are some of the most resilient people that I have ever met. They try to make the best out of negative circumstances in their own way (which is sometimes not the right way), but hey, they are trying.

They are moving forward; maybe not as quickly as the social worker would like, but they are moving forward. The people (clients, peers, and colleagues) make it so worth it and they are all part of the reason as to why I love this major as much as I do.

2. The Outside The Classroom Experiences

When I first declared social work as my major, I never would have thought that there would be so many out of classroom experiences that I was going to learn from. I've been able to connect with and volunteer at organizations I probably never would have thought of if it weren't for my major.

Volunteering within the social work major is huge because it is such a broad field, so it is vital that anyone who is a social work major is engaging within the community and volunteering because how else are you going to know what you like and dislike in the field once you graduate if you haven't done it before.

I have also been fortunate enough to visit different social service agencies within my community and learn more about what they do. I have also been able to do a practicum spanned over the course of two semesters which has taught me so much about the field of social work.

I've been able to gain so much experience and knowledge because of all of the outside the classroom experiences I have had and I love that so much!

3. The Work

The work is hard, but so rewarding. Working with some of the most vulnerable people is not an easy thing to do. You hear stories that enrage you, stories that make you cry, stories that are so beyond complicated that you have no idea what to do, and stories that make you happy.

Social work is not all rainbows and sunshine, but it is so worth it. What makes it work it is when you start to see the successes of those you are working with. It is hard work, but I would not have picked anything else.

4. My Cohort 

You guys, I really got blessed with my little cohort of future social workers. I have fairly small classes which are loaded with group projects and role-plays. They are not just people who I see in class and never talk to outside of it, we are friends. We do things when we can outside of our classes.

Last year we went to brunch right before our last final of the semester as a way to celebrate. We celebrate each other's wins and highs, but we are also there for the lows. We also work really well together and nobody is afraid of reaching out for some help when it is needed. Some classes are not as fortunate as I am when it comes to being close with their cohorts. These are truly some of my favorite people and I will miss them dearly once we graduate.

5. The Professors

I've had such incredible professors over the past four years of college. They have been some of the most caring and understanding professors I have ever had. When my dad was in the hospital and having surgery on my first day of classes (which meets once a week), they assured me that there was no worry and that the hospital was exactly where I needed to be.

They have assured me, pushed me, and challenged me to think outside the box over the past four years and I could not be more grateful for everything they have poured into my life.