- PhD in Psychology
- LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor)
- LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
- LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
- LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
I figured I would start my undergraduate majoring in psychology because that is the father of the other fields. Luckily, I have a wise uncle with a Masters degree in Social Work as well as a PhD in Education who discussed the options with me. He suggested I take the social work route because it isn't as narrow as some of the other ones, while still being a respected and recognized degree. It also fit better with my plan to prioritize family life and motherhood because lets be honest, a PhD would be really hard to get while having babies! I recognize that everyone has a different path in life with various circumstances, but I personally didn't want to wait forever to start a family.
Things didn't go exactly according to plan though because I originally wanted to start graduate school right after finishing my undergraduate degree. My husband, Brandon, graduated from Pharmacy school the same time I was finishing, so he was focusing on applying for jobs while I was focusing on applying to grad schools. All the while, we were hoping it would work out for both of us to be in the same place. Brandon's first job offer was in Boise Idaho, so I applied to the MSW program at Boise State. I was put on the waitlist, but they never told me what number I was so I just gave up hope on that one. We both preferred to stay in the state of Utah to be close to family, so I applied to the University of Utah and Brandon applied to lots of Utah jobs. I didn't apply to Utah State at the time because Logan was far away, and the part-time program at the distance campuses only started every three years, so it wouldn't start until 2014.
I was discouraged after not getting accepted at the University of Utah. Looking back now, I realize I probably just didn't have enough experience because I was right out of school. I had some internship and volunteer experiences, but I mainly worked at a grocery store and ran track to get myself through college. Anyway, one of the social work advisers suggested the program at Eastern Washington University. I applied there and got accepted! I even started coordinating with their track coach because I had one year left of NCAA eligibility to compete. My husband tried to apply to jobs near Eastern Washington, but nothing was working out.
Brandon finally got the job offer he had been waiting for in Utah! I was excited but also worried about what would happen to my plans of graduate school. He called the pharmacy in Boise to let them know he was going to take a different position, and literally the day after, I got a call from Boise State telling me I was next on the waiting list and there was a spot for me in the program! The timing was such that we can't deny it was meant to be. We weren't supposed to move to Boise at that time, we were supposed to stay in Utah.
The question running through my mind was: now what? It was around that time that Brandon and I felt strongly that it was time to have a baby. So I continued working at the jobs in my field to gain experience, and I planned on applying to the Utah State distance program in Kaysville (not too far from Salt Lake). I figured graduate school wouldn't be too hard with a new baby if it were part-time.
We had our first baby in June, and I started my MSW at Utah State in August. Three years felt very long, I'm not going to lie, but it was a great experience and I learned so much. I couldn't have asked for better professors or a more amazing cohort. I am thankful I landed at Utah State because they have a fantastic MSW program. By the time I graduated, I had a 3 year old and was 7 months pregnant with my second! Things worked out for the best even if it wasn't according to my original plan. Life is often funny like that.
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