By Brooke Perkins.

Growing up, I always had a heart for people. Being able to help someone meant everything to me. I was a natural advocate and encourager without even really knowing it. Around senior year of high school, people began to ask, “So Brooke, what are you going to do with your life?” I didn’t know. All I knew is that I wanted to help others, so that was my answer. “I just want to help people.” My family and friends didn’t know what to make of that.

One day my mom came home and said, “There’s a woman I met today, and she’s a social worker. I gave her your number and she’s going to call you.” Social worker? I wasn’t sure what that was. As I spoke with the woman on the phone, I realized that a social worker is a profession that revolves around empowering people to rebuild and better their lives. In that conversation on the phone, I knew I was destined to be one. I had been preparing all my life.

I enrolled at Northwestern State University in Fall of 2013 and fell in love with the classes. It was a perfect fit. I had amazing professors at NSU and met so many strong and professional women who I aspire to be like one day. I continued my studies and achieved my master’s degree in social work and am now entering the work force.

I love social work because it has taught me how to empower people in ways I didn’t know before. Because of social work, I have studied the qualities that make us all unique and cherish each and every difference. Social work is all about the building and the betterment of individuals, families, communities, cities, and even the world. That is why I am a social worker.

I believe in people and their ability to change and be the change to a stronger world. I believe in equipping individuals with skills necessary to improve their relationships and lives, as well as contribute to society.

I believe that those without a voice, such as children or elders, deserve one, and therefore, as a social worker, I am their voice and advocate. That is what a social worker is, and that is why I love being one.