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Why I Chose Social Work

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I would like to say that when my class was asked to form groups for joint presentations throughout the semester that I calculated group dynamics, which of my peers had the best work ethic, or even who was my bestie. The truth is, someone asked me and I ecstatically accepted.
Let me explain. In my early forties, I was given a second chance to choose a career. I was laid off from my workplace of 18 years due to a fall in oil price. Because this slump had hit the entire industry, I couldn’t just run out and get a comparable job. I worked with an employment agency to perfect my resume and come up with creative ways that my skills transferred to other industries, but my heart wasn’t in it. In fact, a part of me (a very large part) was relieved …show more content…
I was desperate to make a difference, not just money. I’d worked my entire adult life surrounded by Conservative professionals, trying my best to blend in, and was tired of playing a role at work. I spent a month doing personality tests, researching careers, and decided that social work was the best fit for my current place in life.
I felt ridiculous going back to school at my age, but convinced myself that “plenty of people decide to go to grad school later in life”. Reality set in on my first day of school when I realized that I was the only person over 30 years old in my cohort. (It turns out that there was one person over 30, but she looks quite young, so I didn’t know until later. Also, there are several “adults” in the second cohort, which we have mixed with this semester). I felt foolish and self-conscious around my younger peers and was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them.
In our Policy class, we had a similar experience of teaming up with another peer to present a chapter later in the semester. There were an odd number of students, and I ended up presenting by myself. Once again, I was in the Third Grade and was the last person chosen for Volleyball. I wondered if maybe they were intimidated my age. So, I tried to be friendly and talk with other students. I thought it was working, but when I invited the entire class to Rowdy’s for drinks after our midterms, not one person showed

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