On behalf of the faculty and staff of the School of Social Work, it is my pleasure to welcome all of our students back to campus for another successful year. We see so much promise for the upcoming year. We have admitted two impressive cohorts with our junior bachelor’s program and the master’s program.
Each of you has chosen social work as your intended profession. Your preparation in the School of Social Work will not always be easy. There will be times that the demands will be heavy with group projects, integrated papers, and external practicum placements. But we want you to know, that if you continue and commit to social work as your vocation, the rewards will be great. It is an honor to be invited to provide hope to society’s most vulnerable people. It is a privilege to invest in those that society has often forgotten or left behind. And it is a noble responsibility to ask the difficult questions of society, to challenge inequity and oppression, and to be catalysts for positive structural change so all people are welcome at the table.
I encourage each of you to work hard, think critically, and be open to being challenged to grow. I also encourage you to seek out professors when you need help and to build mentoring relationships. We are all invested in your success. Indeed, your success is part of the success of our shared chosen profession as you will soon be our colleagues in the profession of social work.
