Shanelle Wakita '21

Why UNE

The faculty of the social work program stand out, they are all so welcoming to everyone, all opinions, and even different levels of knowledge on topics. They make you feel comfortable with making learning mistakes and they encourage you to strive for your passions. Each faculty member has pushed me and encouraged me to be the best student I could be.

The B.S.W. program has given me a wide variety of classes and the thorough knowledge of each topic to feel as comfortable and prepared as I can be to be a successful social work professional. Each of the courses I have taken has opened my eyes to a new idea. These courses are designed to flow with one another, the professors are almost always on the same page and on track with one another. With each course, I feel more and more knowledgeable on social work, and comfortable putting my knowledge to the test within my work and in my internship. 

Experiential Learning

Finding a field placement was a good experience, it was similar to finding an actual job. I was definitely overwhelmed (but in a good way) with all the different options UNE has to offer just to the B.S.W. students, and each field placement was different than the next. I was able to select my top choices and then interview with each and make my own decision. I enjoyed the fact that I had to set up meetings/interviews with each agency on my own, but I also had the support of my field advisor, so any questions I had I could get answers. I did all of this preparing in the midst of COVID so all of my internship so far has been via Zoom or virtual. Both UNE and my internship has been exceedingly flexible with any issues I've had with handling an internship during a pandemic, which is a learning curve for everyone involved. The B.S.W. program has really prepared us in all aspects.