Hello Future Social Workers,
I wanted to congratulate you all for getting this far. I am sure you all have endured some type of hardship to get where you are and you should all be proud of yourselves. You are beginning this amazing journey that will bring hope, resiliency, and love to all the people you meet. I wanted to brush up on a couple of experiences that I have overcome that have continually helped me in this program and hope will help you as well. First of all, try to remind yourselves to always look at the bright side of things and that you will never have to live the same day again. There will be times when you will have the worst day ever and all you will want to do is give up and to this I say, DON’T. Even though you might feel like it is the worst day, it might have just been one moment that made you feel that way but not every day will be a bad day.
Secondly, the way you handle things says a lot about the strength and courage within you. There will be times when stress will get to you because it is inevitable in this program, but making sure you have a support system in place like a partner, siblings, friends, colleagues, or other students within your cohort will help in relieving stress. Furthermore, there will be days when all you want to do is cry and that’s ok because that just means you’re human and had a rough day. There were a lot of ups and downs being in this program but they just made me more resilient, confident, and aware of my potential. The skills I was able to obtain during the MSW program taught me that I am stronger than I could have ever imagined, have the most supportive and loving family and close-knit friends I could have ever asked for, have the strength and courage to overcome any obstacle that has come my way, have accomplished all of the goals I have set out for myself, and most of all have the faith and guidance of God to help me see the good in people regardless of the circumstance they have endured.
Lastly, surrounding yourself with positive, optimistic, happy people can help create a more joyful atmosphere that will remind you to have fun and enjoy the little things in life. Even though this program is designed to take over your life in a way, remember to enjoy this experience because the two or three years that you are in this MSW program will fly by and you will be walking that stage in a blink of an eye. Never forget that nobody is perfect and we are all just trying to live the best life we can. Never give up on your hopes and dreams because we are the generation that will bring forth the most unique, empathetic, and amazing social workers out there! I wish you all the best of luck on your future goals and adventures! Sending you all lots of love, peace, joy, and endless adventures to come!
Warmest wishes,
Yeny Velasco
