Sara Schieffelin, M.S.W. Class of 2008

I decided to pursue a career in social work after working as a case manager at the national mentoring agency, Big Brothers Big Sisters. During this time I was also witnessing the decline and eventual death of my grandmother who suffered from dementia. These two experiences - working with children and seeing the end-of-life struggles that the elderly and their families face - crytallized my belief that I wanted, and am suited, to work at the intersection of human problems and their solutions.

The Smith College School for Social Work was the right choice for me for many reasons, namely that I was already living in Northampton, and I knew it was a wonderful school.  Before applying I had an informal informational meeting with Dr. Josh Miller, a family friend who is also a Smith School for Social Work professor, to find out more about the program, and that was it: I was sold!

Since my initial meeting with Dr. Miller, faculty and staff have continued to be knowledgeable and accessible.  The summer academics at Smith are intense yet manageable, and I feel that they prepare students for their field placements.

My first field placement was at a jail diversion program in Boulder, Colorado. I worked as a therapist intern with adult criminal offenders diagnosed with a major mental illness and substance abuse issues.  Though I was nervous at first, the internship turned out to be educational, challenging, and rewarding.

Currently I am looking forward to being one of the first three students from the School for Social Work to have an international field placement.  This fall I will be going to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  My placements - at a neurological hospital working with Alzheimer’s and dementia clients, and at a community center working with women and children- will allow me to work with the two populations that led me to social work to begin with! The opportunities I have been given at the Smith College School for Social Work have consistently reinforced my decision to pursue a career in social work.

July 2008 Update

I was one of the first three students from the School for Social Work to have an international field placement.  My second year placement was in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I had two internships: the first was at the Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital in their Alzheimer's and Dementia clinic where I spent time in the adult day-care, and traveling around Northern Thailand with the "Memory Clinic" team offering support and care for families who had members with dementia. My second placement was at the New Life Center, a program that works with tribal minority girls who have been victims of or are at risk of labor exploitation, or human trafficking.  The program provides education, vocational and life skills training, and an income generation program for the young woman. I co-led two art therapy groups, and met with many of the young women individually. My experience in Thailand gave me an appreciation of social work on a global level. I learned, first hand, the culture bound nature of much of psychodynamic clinical theory, and the aspects of therapy that are universal. Additionally, I learned Thai!

I am now looking forward to graduating and settling down in Western Massachusetts. I will be working as the Clinical Coordinator at DIAL/SELF, a youth serving agency in Greenfield, Massachusetts which offers a transition to independent living program for homeless youth and youth aging out of the foster care system. Smith College School for Social Work has provided me with an invaluable educational experience, and I expect to put it to good use in my career as a social worker.