Social workers. Many people think we are the people who take kids away, but we are the people behind the scenes. We don’t get as much credit, but we don’t really want it. We can see our hard work, and that is all that matters. We don’t do it for the credit, but we do so much more than people think. When I tell people I’m a social work major, they say, “You might as well get your master’s” or “I don’t know you want to do something that doesn’t pay anything at all.” It takes special people to do what we will do.

I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life until the day I went to student orientation at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Growing up, I wanted to be the usual lawyer, nurse, vet, etc., but nothing ever really stuck out in my mind. I was on my way to register for my freshman classes going in as a nursing major. On the way there, I told my stepmom, “I think I want to be a social worker.” It was that day that I decided I wanted to be a social worker, but I want to be so much more than that.

It isn’t just about “helping people.” I want to be an advocate for those who don’t know how to fight for themselves, or who maybe just don’t know where to start. I believe everyone has a choice, and they should fight for it, or at least someone should be fighting for them. I want to be the compassionate person who helps someone no matter their race, gender, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, etc. I live by the Code (of Ethics), so I see someone in need. A need that should triumph over my own personal beliefs.

I want to be the listening ear for someone who needs a little extra push. I’m not going to do it for you, but I’ll be there with you along the way. I want you to want to be better for yourself, not because someone else wants it for you. I want to bring people together because, right now, we need it more than ever. I want to be someone who sets an example that we can set aside race, and we can work together to bring well-being and improvement to everyone.

I’m not completely perfect in my practice, and I will never stop learning new skills and techniques. I do not understand what you’re going through, but I will try to see it your way. What makes me want to do a job that receives such little pay and credit? I want to change the world, one person at a time. I want to know I’m doing something good for someone. I have struggled with mental illness, and I want to raise awareness and destigmatize.

I have experienced things that make me want a choice for others because people in my life didn’t have one. I have seen others suffer, and this is something you won’t ever forget. So, I will advocate, raise awareness, counsel, fight, teach, and anything else to do my job as fully as possible, as a social worker. Here’s to you my fellow social workers, you are so much more than that!