Story Last Updated: September 2016 Current Position Updated: March 2019
I chose to come to Gwynedd Mercy University because I went to a very large high school and was looking for a small college where I was not just a number. I was very drawn to the cross-country and track program because coming from a large high school that heavily focused on sports, it was refreshing to come to a smaller team where they seemed more like a family rather than competing against each other.
At GMercyU, I majored in Psychology and minored in Criminal Justice. Aside from running cross-country and track all four years, I was in the Honors Program, participated in Mercy Mentors, tutored at the Academic Resource Center and was heavily involved in Campus Ministry. I also participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans.
I was very blessed to participate in the Dublin Pilgrimage. Learning about the Sisters of Mercy and how they were known as the "walking nuns" inspired my profession as a social worker.
The Mercy Values have helped me balance my patience, respect and attitude when it comes to working with challenging clients.
I work at an alternative education center for youth with emotional, behavioral and educational disabilities. In the evenings, I work as a therapist for juvenile sex offenders and their families.
Although I love my profession and am often humbled by the challenge, at times the challenge becomes overwhelming. This is when I sit back and reflect on what I learned about the Sisters of Mercy. It reminds me to meet my clients where they are, just as Catherine McAuley met those she worked with where they were. Often I find myself asking why doesn't this person understand this or that, but then I realize it's because I am supposed to use my talents differently in order to reach them.
After graduating from GMercyU, I went to graduate school and received my master’s degree in social work and passed the social work license exam in 2014. When I'm not working, I'm training my service dog Avett through the Phoenix Assistance Dogs of Central Pennsylvania.
