Why Social Work? The Impact of an Early Experience

by Alexandra Rose

     I grew up in the small town of Adams, North Dakota. The minuscule population made it almost impossible for anyone besides local farmers to thrive. The lack of diversity made me curious about the different kinds of people living outside my rural community.  I also lived in a single-parent household, which posed many challenges for both my mother and my two siblings. Being a single parent added a lot of stress on my mother to balance taking care of three children and having a stable job. My siblings and I found ourselves making sacrifices and compromises for the good of the entire family. I was not always put in the best situations at a very young age, so I knew helping children in this same situation and other people was something that I was interested in.

     At the age of 11 after a serious injury from a car accident, I was taken to the hospital in Grand Forks. This experience led me to my first encounter with a social worker. A hospital is not a happy atmosphere for many people, but my social worker changed my overall experience. She arranged for the whole University of North Dakota women’s basketball team to come to my hospital room and meet me. She also made sure that I was never bored or alone for the whole duration of my stay. I was provided with movies, games, and various resources. The social worker I was assigned always had my best interests at heart. The idea that a stranger can come into your life and create such a positive impact has always been a concept that has inspired me immensely. As I grew older and it came time for me to ponder ideas for future careers, I always found myself recalling this specific memory.

     Social work for me is more than just a major that I am studying in college. Social work is the opportunity for me to live every day and know that I am making a difference in someone’s life. For me, personally, the feeling that I get after helping someone makes up for what this career may lack in monetary value. I truly believe that social work is very important to current and future populations around the world.

Alexandra Rose is from Adams, North Dakota, and is a freshman at the University of North Dakota majoring in social work.