For those of you who do not know me, I am a student in the School of Social Work at UNCW. This is my first year in the major, so I'm just beginning to get my feet wet, but I've always had an inkling that social work was the right path for me. Social work is a profession that offers so many opportunities and possibilities. The fact that I get to go to class every day and study social work and counseling is so unbelievably fulfilling for me. But, unfortunately, a lot of people that I've come in contact with in the past couple of years don't think about the profession the same way that I do. Listed below are some responses I've received from various people when I tell them that I am majoring in social work:

"You're never going to make any money -- you know that, right?"

"Why would you want to take someone's children away?"

"Have fun constantly working with low-lifes."

"Have you heard of burnout?"

"You're probably going to be struggling financially for a couple of years."

"But you're so smart -- why don't you put your talents to good use and become a nurse or a writer or something that gets paid more?"

What's interesting to note is that most of these comments have come from older adults I have had conversations with. I'm sure that anyone with a social work major or another major with a similar reputation knows just how frustrating this can be to hear. A lot of times, these comments are not even a product of ignorance; the person may truly just want whats best for us. But that's not necessarily their place to interfere. If I could address these comments fully every time, it would go a little something like this below.

I'm never going to be a millionaire, nor do I want to be. I've come to terms with the fact that I will probably never own a yacht like the one in "The Wolf of Wall Street." But I would rather make just enough money to be somewhat comfortable doing something that I love than earn gobs and gobs of money doing something that I hate.

Secondly, not all social workers take children away. Usually social workers with the Department of Social Services or Child Protective Services handle these cases, but taking children away is never something they necessarily want to do. Social work is not always geared toward the negative; it is rooted in the belief that people are inherently good. Burnout is very real, but it's not the first thing we think about when it comes to our future jobs. Social workers also participate in self-care in order to combat stress and "burnout" that comes with the job.

Finally, to all of you who think that I am settling in a career that will not do right by me, I can assure you that this is not the case. I am studying social work because I can truly see myself having a fulfilling career in which I can thrive. Social work is a truly amazing career, and I wish others could see it in the same light that I do.