Class Year: May 2024
Degree Program: MSW On-Campus
Concentration: Mental Health with Children and Adolescents
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois
Name of Summer Job/Volunteer Organization:
Explain what you're doing this summer.
I am teaching a poetry curriculum at a camp called Literacy through the Arts with kids in grades one through nine.
How did you get this job or get involved at the organization?
I reached out directly to staff at America SCORES per the recommendation of my field faculty advisor, Julianne Foster.
What has been the best part so far?
I've really enjoyed hearing my students read drafts of their poems out loud in class.
What are you looking to get out of this experience?
I am hoping to facilitate therapy or a skills group as a social worker, so I would like to practice facilitating an arts-based experience with kids this summer.
What's your advice for students who might be looking for a similar opportunity?
Speak with your field faculty advisor for recommendations and ask your classmates if their field placements are looking to fill summer positions. I would also suggest reaching out directly to staff at organizations you are interested in and express interest in any summer opportunities.
How did the Mandel School prepare you for this opportunity?
My experience facilitating a psychoeducational skills group for youth during my first-year field placement helped prepare me for this opportunity. I also found the first-year coursework on human development and social work groups to be helpful.
Why did you choose ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½/the Mandel School?
I was drawn to the Mandel School in part because of the resources provided by the Center on Trauma and Adversity and the opportunities to learn about the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). I also really liked the school's sense of community.