March is National Social Work Month! Did you know that all LIFT coaches are either Social Workers or MSW grad students completing their field service?
Meet Tom, one of our fantastic LIFT-DC coaches making a difference for families in our nation’s capital.
Why I Chose to be a Social Worker:
I’ve had a passion to help people improve their quality of life since I was fifteen years old. As someone who faced many setbacks in my adolescent years, I have a strong sense of purpose to lift others up from their challenges, which is how I discovered the field of Social Work.
I want to help others who may face adversity as I once did and bring hope to those in need of aspiration.
Through my field placement, I gained hands-on experience working with marginalized and vulnerable populations and work every day to become more empathetic and understanding to their needs and challenges.
Why I Chose LIFT:
I chose LIFT for my internship because I am captivated by LIFT’s values of impacting families’ lives through equity, diversity, relationships, excellence, and hope.
During my first interview, my field instructor Patrease asked me, “Tom, what does hope to mean to you?”
After taking a moment to think, I replied, “People often experience good and bad days. Some individuals have more bad days than good days. Having hope allows the person to brace through the tough moments and remind themselves better days are coming.”
I chose LIFT because I wanted to grow as a professional in the field of social work, to work in collaboration with members and to help them overcome obstacles they may have.
What I’ve Learned:
My hands-on experience at LIFT-DC allows me to work with parents, connect with them deeply, learn about their stories and appreciate their aspirations to become the best version of themselves.
I help motivate and support members striving for their meaningful goals, working with parents to plan and implement action steps. In return, members taught me to be humble, compassionate, and resilient.