Why Social Work: An (Over) Extended Metaphor About Love

People get into social work for a variety of reasons. From an altruistic desire to help others, to a deep belief that a person can make a difference, to a compelling, life-altering internship, different experiences have led many of us to choose the same profession. Yet, despite the relatable nature of the above occurrences, none are the true reason that I want to become a social worker. Though it is direct, and perhaps a tad trite, I can tell you why I want to be a social worker in one declaration: I am in love with social work.

When I first met social work, it was infatuation at first sight. I have always been a people person and have always gleaned happiness from feeling as though I was helping others. So, you can imagine my joy when I realized that there was a profession that not only allowed me to develop these characteristics, but that saw those very characteristics unequivocally as strengths. Though I did not act on it, I would return to the idea of social work throughout my high school years, like that cute older crush that you regularly see in the hallways but never speak to.       

It was my senior year of high school and finally time to pick a college major.  With my love of people and my desire to help others, I naturally chose social work. Right? Well, no. You see, my parents weren’t thrilled with the idea of me being a social worker. Do you want to be heartbroken and poor your whole life, they asked. Now before we vilify my parents, it is important to realize two things. One: It is a well-known fact amongst my family and friends that the presence of a dog and/or small child in anything set to music is enough to make me tear up. Secondly, and more importantly, up to this point in my life, I had never educated myself about the field of social work. If I had, I would have been able to enter into an intelligent discussion with my parents about both the pros and cons of the field. As it was, I chose psychology as my major, setting off to college with the idea of social work far behind me. How realistic are high school crushes anyway?

Fast-forward four years to my senior year of undergrad. I was talking with a mentor/friend, asking for advice in choosing a graduate school program. What I really wanted, I told him, was to find a job that allowed me to work in a place like the domestic violence non-profit where I had been working for the past two years. My friend, himself a graduate of Pitt’s MSW program, gently interrupted my ramblings to point out that I had essentially spent the last half-hour describing my desire to pursue an education in social work. Shocked, I went back to my dorm room to think. Could it be that after all this time I was really reconsidering a profession as a social worker? I began to examine this idea, and the entire field of social work, again. Yet, this time, I met social work not as an inexperienced, shy girl, unsure of her feelings and desires, but as a mature woman who knew her strengths and what she wanted from life. It was during this time of reflection that I realized that social work was truly the right path for me.

Perhaps this time in my life is serving as my engagement to social work. Like planning a wedding, my concentrated, graduate school study of the field can be both dynamic and stressful. Yet, when things get overwhelming, when I begin to doubt my own capabilities, I need only stop, take a deep breath, and remember how much I truly want to be exactly where I’m at right now. When I think of social work, I get that rare, magnificent feeling of peace and rightness. This is truly where I’m supposed to be.

I want to be a social worker because I know that my marriage to social work will be amazing and rewarding. Still, if anyone wants to pass along some silver for my 25^th anniversary, I wouldn’t say no. Student loans are expensive.