My journey to becoming a social work student definitely wasn’t a straight line. In fact, I knew I wanted to be a therapist in high school and even thought I could be a psychologist. However, when it came time to choose psychology as a major I found out that Rutgers required Calculus at that time. After failing pre-calculus I quietly changed my major to a double major in English and East Asian Languages and Area Studies. I studied three years of Mandarin, studied abroad in China, and after I finished my bachelor’s went to live in China to teach English.
Not long after, Rutgers dropped the calculus requirement. I was regretful, but ultimately too focused on trying to find a job after graduation. After returning from China, I made the decision to move to Florida, a decision I wish I had changed sooner. In Florida Rutgers was not recognized as the top school that it is. I struggled to find work and ended up a call center agent. Being yelled at wore on my psyche especially as a domestic violence survivor.
Counseling was how I dealt with the unprocessed trauma I experienced when I was in high school as well as work stress. It was tough coping with the new culture in Florida too. Jersey is unique with its inclusion and diversity and making the mistake of leaving helped me to see that clearly. In 2015 I met a counselor who was Latinx and helped me to understand my Puerto Rican family a little better. I also told her about how I had wanted to become a therapist.
“Why don’t you become a social worker?” My counselor was smiling excitedly, leaning forward in her chair.
“You can become a therapist that way?” I felt like I should have known this sooner, although I leaned forward taking on this new possibility.
“Yes you can, that’s what I did.” My counselor went on to say that the career was one of life long learning. She mentioned the person-in-environment perspective that is so crucial to what social workers do. For example, a person’s resources and life circumstances have a direct impact on their mental health. In my mind, I was already thinking, ‘Okay you already sold me on it, you don’t have to elaborate more.’ Despite my interest I didn’t apply because I was living in a poverty mindset. The student loans I had were such a huge chunk of my paycheck and I didn’t want to add more.
Three years passed, in 2018 I applied to a social work program in Florida and got rejected because I didn’t have all the recommendations needed. I was disheartened and wondered how I’d ever get a career that would make me happy. Then in 2019, fed up with the crappy low wage jobs I suffered through, I packed up my little Ford Fiesta and moved back to New Jersey.
Within 2 to 3 weeks of moving I got a job as a personal assistant. I was no longer getting yelled at on the phone. Then, when covid hit in 2020, I got a job as a receptionist at a Japanese company in Somerset. I was a proud employee there for three years. I even got promoted to human resources assistant. I thought that I had found a career in human resources. I was helping people after all. However, something was missing. I thought maybe I needed to get a certificate or degree to get ahead.
I enrolled in a SHRM-CP preparatory course to get certified and try to get a higher paying role. I also figured this would show me whether I had what it took to go get a master’s degree. I took the course and hated the content. I couldn’t be more bored with the material. I proved to myself with the high amount of reading and quizzes that I could go back to school. However, it was clear human resources wasn’t for me. I took the exam that had a 64% pass rate and passed. I knew without a shadow of doubt that I wanted a different career. Then I began my plans in 2024 to go to graduate school for social work.
This time I had made great connections over the years and I was finally able to get all the recommendations I needed. I applied to two graduate programs Rutgers University and the University of New England. I got into both and after careful consideration picked Rutgers. I started in the fall of 2024. I finished my undergraduate program in 2011. After years of being out of school I got back into the swing of it and aced my fall and spring semester. Now I just finished the fall semester of 2025 and I’m in my first internship. I am proud to be a social worker student.