‘Social work is more than a profession. It is a movement. And every student who passes through our Bachelor of Social Work program becomes a part of that movement.’
As a social work educator, there are few things more fulfilling than hearing from former students, now professionals, who are out in the world facilitating real change. These updates often come through emails, phone calls, or chance encounters, and each one is a reminder of why we do this work.
When our students graduate, they step into roles that require not just skill and knowledge but courage, empathy, and resilience. They become the steady voice in chaotic systems. They become advocates for the unheard. They apply what they have learned about justice, ethical practice, trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and a strengths-based perspective in all the places and spaces they serve.
One of the greatest honors of my career has been witnessing these students’ journeys, first in the classroom, where their passion begins to take shape, and later in the field, where that passion meets purpose. In the classroom, I get to see their hearts: their desire to serve, their questions about injustice, their struggles, and their growth. In the field, they are bold. They turn compassion into action. They embody the values of this profession with a kind of steady strength that moves mountains.
What makes it even more powerful is knowing that many of them came to this path with lived experiences that fuel their drive to make a difference. They have taken the pain they have known and transformed it into purpose. They have taken theory and turned it into advocacy. They have taken learning and turned it into healing for individuals, groups, families, and entire communities.
These stories are not just inspiring, they are essential. They remind us that social work is more than a profession. It is a movement. And every student who passes through our Bachelor of Social Work program becomes a part of that movement.
As I write this, Concordia University BSW graduates are making a meaningful impact across a wide range of settings, including child welfare, mental health, school systems, healthcare, public policy, homeless shelters, victims’ advocacy organizations, refugee and immigration services, corrections, veteran support, court systems, employee assistance programs, grassroots community organizing and beyond! They are serving individuals across the entire lifespan, from prenatal care to end-of-life. Each one is contributing to the greater good with faith, grace, grit, and an unwavering commitment to integrity.
From classroom conversations to community transformation, our students are the bridge. They are the change. And as an educator, I will never stop cheering them on.
This article was written by Professor Nichole Ostrowski.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.