Reflecting on my 4 Years at Ferrum

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

Is this really the beginning of my final semester of college?  There is no way 4 years went by so fast!  I don't want to believe it.  I have started a 400-hour internship at a local hospice agency near my hometown!  I'm a commuter student now and am spending a little less time on Ferrum's beautiful campus, which is extremely bittersweet.

As I reflect on the past few years here at Ferrum and ponder about my future, I realize there are a few things I wish I could go back and tell my freshman self:

1. Get some sleep, but not too much sleep!  It's important to balance fun and school work. There are times where I should have just shut my door and went to sleep, and there are times when I probably should have let myself have a little more fun!
2. Do better in your freshman classes!  You don't think they matter that much until you're down to the wire calculating what your final GPA will be and whether or not you will graduate with honors or get into your program's honors society.  Luckily last year, I was inducted into Phi Alpha, a national honors society for social work majors, but a part of me wishes I would have tried a little harder in my freshman math class.
   
3. Remember your parents have feelings too.  I was my parents' only child for 18 years.  When I graduated high school and moved to college, they missed me so much that they decided to adopt two more!  Okay, maybe it was planned exactly like that, but nonetheless, it's important to call home and let your parents know you're okay.  They took care of you for a long time and it's nice to remind them they did a good job!  (Thank you, Mom and Dad!)

All in all, Ferrum as been one of the best experiences of my life!  I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything else in this world, and part of me will always call Ferrum College home.  I'm excited and nervous about the future, but I know that Ferrum has prepared me for my future.  Thank you, Jennie, Martha, Peg, Susie, Dr. Reilly, and the many more who have shaped my college career!

Keeping the Connection

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

As a senior, I have been feeling very overwhelmed.  The fear of failure is weighing heavy on my heart. Even though I have never failed a class, the realization that it is my last year at Ferrum and I do not have time to fix any mistakes is kind-of a scary thought.  Through all of the anxiety, I found myself thinking, I'm not the first senior social work major! There have been a ton of people who have graduated before me!

Luckily, being in a small school has allowed me to make a ton of friends not only in my class but also in the classes above and below me.  A friend and alumna of Ferrum College saw a Facebook post about how overwhelmed I was and invited me to go to dinner with her.  After several reschedules and lots of phone calls and text messages, we finally met up at Hema's (a local Italian restaurant) just to catch up!

She asked me how school was going and I found myself pouring out all of my problems, fears, and frustrations!  The best part was that she understood it all because she had also gone through the Social Work Program and graduated just last year.  She understood the frustrations I was having in my research class and how everything simply seemed overwhelming.

She not only listened, but she gave me some great advice!  Take it one assignment at a time. When you have multiple large projects going on, it seems very hard to look at things in small chunks.  Emily encouraged me to take it one assignment at a time, and once I started to look at it like that, it didn't seem so difficult.

We also got the chance to talk about plans for after my graduation, including grad school and working.  It was nice to hear what a recent graduate had to say about some of the programs I had been looking at.

In a nutshell, it is so important to keep in contact with your alumni friends!  They have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt...diploma!  They can help ease your worries and make you realize that there is life after graduation and help you see how lovely that life can be!

Senior Year: Another Time for Changes

by Rachel W.

The beginning of the end.

To say that becoming a senior in college can be overwhelming is an understatement.  There are so many emotions that flood my heart when I think about this being my senior year:  happiness, sadness, stress, and relief.  The thought that next year at this time I will hopefully be working hard in the Social Work field gives me so much pride and so much fear.  I have worked hard to make it this far and will continue to work hard the rest of the year.  It just hard to imagine that in a few short months, I'll walk across the stage and make the transition from student to alumni.

Ferrum has been a second home for me since I moved in freshman year.  I have been involved in clubs and organizations from the first time I attended the famed club fair.  In my first three years, I have proudly served as President of the Social Work Club, and I have been involved in the Lions Branch Club, the Leadership Fellows Program, and many other service learning programs as well as being a mentor.  However, when you become a senior, a lot of things change.  My classes are very demanding and I have an internship that takes up almost all of my spare time.  One of the most important things I've learned already this semester is how to say "no."  Knowing when to say "no" and taking a step back from extra-curricular activities is important.  It's hard not to be heavily involved in clubs and organizations, but the truth is that I have so much going on this year, I would be spreading myself too thin if I tried to be as involved as I have been in the past and that would be unfair to myself and the organizations I'm involved in.  I can thankfully be involved in the Social Work Club as a member and attend activities as much as possible, but now I don't have to run meetings, make agendas, and do all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on in managing a club.

The other really cool part is that I get to, in a sense, mentor the current president of the Social Work Club.  I am here to help answer any questions or help fix any problems.  I'm not leaving a club to start over or remake connections that have already been made throughout my time here. It's really awesome!  It's also really awesome to see the changes and new project the club is already talking about! It's something I can take pride in knowing that the club will thrive long after I'm gone!

A Class Trip to the Rescue Mission

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

I am Social Work 330 - Human Behavior class. We have been diligently working on a class trip all semester and finally all the hard work paid off!

As stated on its website, the Rescue Mission in Roanoke, Virginia is "a Christ-centered, grassroots organization offering programs to help people physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. The programs are holistic and involve elements of personal responsibility, self-determination and an internal transformation of values and vision resulting in a restoration of self-respect.  The homeless, the hungry, the sick, the addicted, the abused, and the hopeless have all found a warm welcome at the Rescue Mission. Men, women, and children have found a safe place and compassionate friends in their darkest moments."

The Rescue Mission has been open since 1942 and for more than 62 years, it has served this homeless population in many ways.  The Rescue Mission is open 24/7, and yes, that includes Christmas!

Sculpture outside of the women & children's building

Leslie Holden giving tips to the
guests at the Rescue Mission.

So a few weeks ago, my class traveled to Roanoke to work with some of the folks at the Rescue Mission who are considered "chronically homeless," meaning they have been homeless for at least two years.  My classmates and I ran two workshops for about 35 of the guests at the Rescue Mission. For the first workshop, we went over resumes. We updated some resumes for some of the people and started new ones for others. After the resume portion, we started a mock interview process.  I got to interview two awesome guys and give them pointers on how to answer questions, what questions an employer should not be asking, and other important information that could be beneficial to getting a job!

After both workshops, we were given a tour of the Rescue Mission where we got the chance to see the men's building, the women and children's building, the free clinic, the thrift store, and the cafeteria!  After our tour, we had the chance to sit down and have lunch with some of the guests and employees of the Rescue Mission.

A room inside the Rescue Mission. Each guest is
provided with a quilt that was donated by local
church groups. The quilts are given so the bed
has more of a home-y feel!

An art piece called "The Path," made by a guest
of the Rescue Mission

It was a very rewarding experience, and I hope to return to the Rescue Mission to volunteer in the future!

Attending an Aging Conference

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

Early one recent Wednesday morning, three professors, a fellow Social Work major, and I climbed into a van to make a three and a half hour trip to Raleigh, North Carolina.  We made this trip in order to attend the "Aging Conference" at North Carolina State University!

The conference itself was extremely educational!  It not only reestablished my desire to work with the aging population, but it also opened up my mind to graduate school.  Ferrum College is providing me with all the tools I need to succeed in not only my undergraduate degree but also to move forward and earn a master's in social work further down the road.

We even stopped at Red Robbin for dinner and
enjoyed an onion ring tower!

During this trip, I got some one-on-one time with my amazing professors who gave me advice on graduate school, internships, and the social work field in general.  It is so rewarding to go to a small school where I can have these kinds of experiences with my professors who truly know my story.

Also on this trip, I got to spend time with another social work major, Taylor.  Taylor and I have a lot of the same interests.  We both want to work with the older population and really love the degree we are earning.  Another great aspect of being in the Social Work Program at Ferrum College is that the program has a very tight knit group of students. We are all willing to help each other with things both academically and personally.  Taylor is going through a lot of the same things as I am as far as planning the future (including graduate school, next semester's classes, and planning internships), and it is so nice to have someone who can relate and understand!

Finding a Placement

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

One of the best parts about earning a bachelor's degree in Social Work is that the opportunities after graduation are endless.  One of the most appealing things to me is that I can either start my career immediately after graduation or I can continue my education and earn a master's degree in Social Work.

I think that internships are a vital part of becoming a professional social worker.  The professors here at Ferrum College are amazing, but nothing can compare to the real life experience you earn from taking an internship. I am currently taking a professional preparation class where we talk about what we need to do after graduation and we try to find the best internship to meet our personal and professional needs.

Last semester, I lost a very close family member. Watching my loved one pass away was one of the hardest experiences of my life.  However, with the help of loving family members, wonderful friends, amazing nurses, and a devoted pastor, I learned that death can be a peaceful good-bye that leaves you with a sense of closure and relief.  Without the help of those around me, I would have never been able to experience such a sad life event and still come out with a positive mindset.  So, I wanted to know if there was a way I could help others through similar life events like this.

That's when I learned about Hospice from Professor West and Professor Bowling.  Hospice care is "a family-centered team approach that includes a doctor, nurse, social worker, counselor, chaplain, home health aide, and trained volunteers.  They work together focusing on the dying person's needs - physical, psychological, social and spiritual."

Me with Professors West (left) and Bowling (right)

At Ferrum College, we have what is called an Experiential Term, or E-Term.  This is a three-week class where you have opportunities to take internships, travel abroad, or even catch up on core classes.  I will be taking an E-Term class this May, and it will be an internship at a local Hospice agency.  I am so excited to experience the career first-hand.  I know that Hospice is something that takes a special person to do, and I am extremely thankful that I will have a "trial run" to see how things work and to see if this would be the right fit for me long-term.

Professor Bowling, the professor in charge of placements, takes a long time to make sure an agency is fully prepared and can provide each student with an educational and skill-developing experience.  She personally meets with those who will supervise students the agencies.  She makes sure that every placement is the best fit and that each student will get the most from this opportunity.

My goal with this internship is to go in with an open mind and find out if a career in Hospice care or something similar is right for me.  I'm excited that I have this opportunity and thankful that I am in a Social Work Program that takes no shortcuts in preparing students for their careers!

Hello from New Panther Blogger Rachel!

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

Hello, my name is Rachel and I am a junior at Ferrum College.  I am originally from a small town in Carroll County, Virginia.  I am majoring in Social Work and will be interning at the Franklin County Hospice this summer!  The wonderful thing about earning a Social Work degree is that there are so many different agencies I can work with, so I'm not sure where I'll end up after graduation.

I am President of the Social Work Club, an active member in the Ferrum College Lions Branch Club, a Leadership Fellow, a Peer Assisted Learning Tutor, an admissions ambassador, and the E-term student assistant.  When I'm not busy with school and organizations, I love working with photography and typing for my personal blog.

When I was a senior in high school, I met Tiffany Gordon, one of Ferrum's admissions counselors, at a college fair.  She was telling me about Ferrum and it sounded like an awesome school. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to major in Social Work, and Tiffany told me about how great Ferrum's program was. After I visited Ferrum's campus for the first time, I knew this was where I would be spending the next four years of my life.  What truly attracted me to Ferrum was the sense of community, and the small class sizes.  Coming from a small high school, it was extremely important for me to know that each of my professors would know me on a first name basis.

Dogwood tree on campus

Another thing I really love about Ferrum is that it is multicultural. I've learned a ton about other cultures from my peers and professors!  There are specific classes to help you learn about other cultures as well as study abroad opportunities.

I would recommend Ferrum to anyone who was looking for a very personalized education. Here at Ferrum, you know your professors personally, and there are a ton of majors and minors you can earn.  Ferrum offers a lot of academic resources to help their students succeed as well.  Between professors being able to help you one-on-one and the peer tutoring that is offered, there is always help available.  Ferrum also has a writing center and a math center where professors help you with papers or your math homework.  It's extremely helpful and helps boost your grade!  These are great resources and the best part is that they are all completely free for students to use, which is very rare to find in a college or university.

Social Work Conference

The Social Work Program is awesome here at Ferrum!  I know that no matter where I end up after graduation, I will be fully prepared for graduate school or for a career.  Jennie and Martha, the two main Social Work professors, are highly skilled and knowledgeable about the field.  Both of them take a lot of time to find the perfect internship for each student and they offer an excellent hands-on learning environment.

Enjoying the snow at the farm at Ferrum!

This semester is going to be super-busy for me!  The Social Work Club is planning on visiting kids at an after-school center, adults at the local nursing home, and the homeless at the local homeless shelter.  The Lions Branch Club is participating in Read Across America and a diabetes awareness day.  And that's just the beginning!

I'm excited to be a Panther Blogger and I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences here at Ferrum College!