My Last Semester of Grad School Starts Today

- S

3/4 Done with Graduate School

So, I'm quite enjoying winter break so far! The end of the semester was oddly anti-climactic and just kind of faded out, so it took a while for everything to be wrapped up and done for good. But it has been over a week now since I didn't have finals, and it has been nice being able to relax and not commute every day or wake up to 21 class-related emails. I've been hanging with the pup, watching a lot of Netflix, going on walks, getting ready for Christmas, hanging out with the husband, lunches with friends, and working on a couple things. We're not traveling or anything for the holidays, so a central Texas Christmas it is! School starts January 6th (this semester is 32-35 hours a week at internship, with internship seminar and research seminar classes, and then internship ends on April 18th and we just have our colloquium class and prepping for that presentation) and graduation May 16/17! It's a rainy, stormy day, so maybe I will work on filling in my 2014 planner (always a much looked-forward to task at the end of every year). Happy Solstice! :)

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Community Practice

For the second year of the masters program, you pick one of three concentrations: Children and Families, Physical and Mental Health, or Community Practice. I chose community practice, and so did twelve other wonderful, beautiful people. For our practice class, we worked on one giant project for the whole semester. We were tasked with looking at volunteerism and community engagement in the five counties surrounding McLennan County (Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone), and coming up with a plan to address these things, all to be presented to the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG) and Heart of Texas Efficient Towns and Counties (HOTETC). This was not just another class project for a grade, we were working under a HUD grant, as a group of professionals working in the field. We came up with recommendations and a work plan that could potentially put into place, put everything together into a written report, and today we presented to HOTCOG/HOTETC (it was rescheduled due to the bad weather last Friday). We are done! I am proud of this group and thankful for our amazing professor, Dr. Yancey. 

^^featuring my photo on the cover!^^

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Countdown

Just a cute photo of miss Loons, to accompany me telling you that I have three weeks of school left- our last day is December 9! For this semester...but next semester, my final semester, is pretty much full time at internship with just a couple classes to accompany that, so really, this is my last full-on school semester. At least that's what we tell ourselves to make it through... :)

I'm definitely, very much looking forward to this winter break.

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Saturday Night

Just me and some wine, working on creating some flyers for a fake organization's fake fundraising event. Typical grad school Saturday (/any day of the week, really)... four more weeks!

Baylor Pumpkins

I came up with the idea to add some fall decoration to the School of Social Work tailgate the ladies of the student association and I planned; so yesterday I picked up a few pie pumpkins from HEB, got some painting supplies from Michael's, and painted these bad boys late into the night. I have to say, I am super impressed with myself on this. They turned out really well! And it was actually very calming and enjoyable working on them; even the animals were very chill. Maybe I should paint squash more often. Sic 'em!

As of Late

I haven't been blogging much as of late. Grad school and taking care of the animals keep my days pretty busy and free from exciting blog-worthy adventures. It gets overwhelming at times, all that I have to do between school and home life, but I'm doing fairly well so far! I mostly, every once in a while, wish someone would take the dog out for me, or go get groceries so I didn't have to, or clean the house, just to take one thing off my plate. This semester is very different from last year, both in the nature of the work and the fact that we've split into our three concentrations, so my cohort is split three ways and we don't always see each other anymore. I'm so glad it's starting to feel like fall, if even occasionally. I'm planning to get some pumpkins and fall decorations up in this house this week! I hope everyone is doing well. Just wanted to check in! :) Have a wonderful week.

NASW TX Conference: Weaving Resilience and Advocacy

Last Saturday and Sunday I went to the National Association of Social Workers Texas Branch Conference in Austin. I attended a variety of sessions based on my interests and future career goals, and I think I picked some really great ones. Here's a little bit about those sessions!

"The Texas Model for Addressing Disproportionality and Disparities: A Cross Systems 
Approach"
This session was about institutional racism and disparities across systems, and it was my favorite. It was more like a group conversation, which made effective use of a PowerPoint presentation to show graphs and charts of some startling and touching statistics. I like that they defined and differentiated between "equality" and "equity," stating that by striving for equality, that discounts the individual and their need, while equity rather is that everyone have the opportunity to attain their potential. The session began with a talk about how we (individuals/groups/communities) are all socialized, we have our boxes and our way of seeing things, as do institutions. "We can only act from what we have been socialized to believe." We talked about the oppression that people working inside of systems face, as they must adhere to the boxes that employ them, leading to little change; we stick inside our box much to our demise. Then we briefly touched on the problem with charity, which allows us to quietly donate money while remaining quiet about the real issues at hand. For a large part, we have been socialized to focus on and worry about the individual, but we have to understand how the people we work with are impacted by other systems, not just the one we work in, in whatever capacity. The part that really struck me the most was when we looked at figures of disparity based on race/ethnicity (this also really goes to show how impactful well presented data can be). The fact that there is a significantly higher infant mortality rate among black women, simply due to the stress accumulated from their years of being a black woman in America? The fact that an educated, well paid black woman still has a higher risk than an uneducated, low income white woman? That is crazy to me (White 5.1%, Other 6.9%, Black 11.3%, Hispanic 5.2%). Not only that, but the HIV infection rate for Black youth is much greater than any other race (White .8%, Black 7.1%, Hispanic 1.4%), and the life expectancy for the Black population is about five years less than Hispanics (which have the highest life expectancy of 79 years, White 77.9, Black 74.1). The reasons for these statistics are not what people tend to think they are, and they are unforgivable.

The Texas Model (for changing the system and hopefully these statistics), as the title refers to, is the following:
- Data Driven Strategies
- Leadership Development
- Cultural Competent Workforce
- Community Engagement
- Cross Systems Collaborations
- Training Defined by Anti-Racist Principles
- Understanding of the History of Institutional Racism and the Impact on Poor Communities and Communities of Color

Many of the systems we have set up now, to assist and serve people, were not set up for people of color, and so white people have the best outcomes within these systems, while others are not being served well. We spoke about the need to revise policies and systems that have these unintended consequences. "We all make decisions that sustain disproportionality," whether that is driven by a sense superiority for Whites, or inferiority by Blacks. Anyway, I will wrap this one up here. It gave me a lot to think about. I apologize for not providing citations. Figures are from notes I took during the presentation.

"Women's Issues Committee: Focus on the 83rd Texas Legislature for Women"
This session was a helpful review of what went on regarding women's issues in the TX legislature. The whole country heard about Wendy Davis and her filibuster attempt, so this session was probably a bit more popular than it might have been without the exciting recent events. The format was also guided by a PowerPoint, but there was a lot of discussion. There were questions raised about whether the NASW Committee could and should be more involved and active in advocating for women's rights, in ways outlined in Social Work Speaks, the book which catalogs the NASW's position on issues. You might think it would be only expected, since the NASW has stated their general position, for an NASW Committee to advocate in line with that position, but it is apparently more complicated, as they are a group that also represents a diversity of opinion. I understand that, but the feeling in the room was pretty obvious, and at some point for progress to happen you have to pick a side to stand on and rise up.

"Exploring Career Trajectories of Macro Practitioners"
While I am very confident in my decision to pursue macro/community practice social work, it was still nice to hear some evidence based reassurance and learn more about what career pathways might look like for me in the future. If you're not familiar with social work, it is a broad field, and the majority of people end up taking a more clinical/micro-oriented route (Baylor has 13 students currently in the macro concentration), providing therapy and direct services. With the path I've chosen, however, my jobs likely will not have the title "social worker" in them, and they will probably be jobs that business and public health folks will go after as well (among others). In this session we reviewed a study that the presenters from the University of Houston conducted, where they surveyed macro practice alumni, to find out about their career path, salary, job responsibilities, and things like that. Here are some interesting things they found.

- Macro practitioners had a wide range of job titles, including but not limited to: CEO, Associate Executive Director, Director of Public Policy, Program Manager, Fund Development Manager, Staff Services Administrator, Research Coordinator, Professor, Community Outreach Liaison, Consultant, and Grant Writer.
- Their most frequent job responsibilities were: administration, program planning and development, program and project management, advocacy, program evaluation, coalition building, organizational development, and budgeting.
- The average salary was $63,750.
- 35.1% had no social work license. 42.3% had an LMSW. 96.8% passed the LMSW exam on the first try.
- Fun fact: their salaries are higher on average than the general population of social workers! 21.7% macro practitioners earn $90,000 or more a year, compared to 12% of social workers nationally (just one of the statistics on this).

Sounds good to me! I came into social work not even knowing social workers did these kinds of things, and I'm glad I had my foundation year to figure out that (for now at least) macro practice is for me.

.....

Anyway, those are the three I think were worth writing about. I heard mixed reviews from others about the conference, but I would say it was worth it for me.

- From the desk of Mrs. M

This Semester

I knew this semester was going to be a pretty busy one (past students have all warned that this is the worst semester of the program; you could almost hear ominous music start to play in the background whenever the topic came up in conversation last year), but hearing myself tell my sister everything all at once the other day really made me realize the enormity of everything I've taken on...and I'm excited about it! Here's a look at what I'll be up to through December!

I have 5 classes: Administrative Practice in Social Work, Research Seminar, Introduction to Advanced Internship III- Community Practice, Frameworks and Perspectives for Community Practice, and Advanced Practice: Community Practice. Each have big projects and assignments and readings throughout the semester, of course. As a couple examples: I will be planning a research project to be carried out this winter and completed next semester, hopefully something that will be a benefit to the agency I will be working with, too. As a class, those of us in the community practice concentration will be working to come up with a plan (something from almost nothing) to increase volunteerism and engagement among residents of five more rural counties surrounding McLennan county (that's huge! our class of 13 working in 5 different counties). We will be presenting our plan in December to the Heart of Texas Council of Governments, so it's not just a school project, it is almost like we are hired employees of the City, giving us real experience and holding us accountable to the people and clients we serve, not just to a grade. I like the graduate Baylor program because I can every day see the value in the readings and assignments we are tasked with, that extends far beyond the classroom and these two years in the program. We are learning for life, now, and that's learning of the best kind.

I also am still working as a graduate research assistant for the Texas Hunger Initiative, 20 hours a week. I got this position in February; I was brought on to work due to a grant that THI received, and with this comes full tuition remission and a good hourly wage. So, I will do whatever they need me to do. :) In all sincerity, though, THI is a great organization doing wonderful things around the issue of food insecurity in Texas and the United States, and I am truly honored to be a part of it. And for that reason alone I would do whatever they need me to do.

Next week our internships start. For the fall semester it's 7-8 hours a week of orientation and training, preparing ourselves for working full time at internship for our final semester in the Spring. My internship will also be with the Texas Hunger Initiative, at their Waco Regional Office (they have, in the last year, expanded to 12 regional offices around the state of Texas!). So I will be doing different, hands-on things in the Waco community, in contrast to the more research/office oriented work I do as a GA. I am in deep with THI, you might say.

I am also the treasurer for the Graduate Social Work Student Association. There are four of us officers, and we will be planning and executing service and social events through the semester. We have our first event, a welcome back picnic this Saturday, and we just found out that we got a spot for our tailgate at the homecoming game! We also have meetings twice a month, more as needed for event planning and such. The Baylor School of Social Work community is a great one, and I hope to help others find their place as I have.

I also, on my own and due to my own curiosity, desire to help and need to be involved (and not sleep, apparently), have been in touch with the Executive Director of Temple Parks and Leisure Services (the Leslie Knope of Temple, I like to think), about the possibility of creating a community garden. I walk my dog at Lion's Park in Temple often (every day before school started, and on the weekends now), and they have large, open fields. I've seen little baby trees watered through some irrigation system. So I got to thinking and wondering about what might be required to add a community garden to the many offerings of the park, or perhaps elsewhere in Temple. At the start of the summer I also spoke to the Nutrition Director of the Temple Independent School District about how I might be able to help them with their summer meals programming for next summer, so I plan to stay in touch with that as well. I am looking forward to learning a bit more about this community in which I am currently pretty isolated.

In addition, I have a dog and two cats to take care of! I wake up during the week at 4:45 am to go jogging with Luna, and leave for Waco between 7 and 7:15. My animals are the best, so it's all good there.

I also, and most importantly- because without this my life would be unbearable- have made and grown very close to my wonderful friends and cohort at Baylor. I always tell people that I really loved high school, because it was basically getting to go hang out with my friends all day, and that's how I feel now (the school work is more intense, though). I get to be with smart, passionate people that I really really like, learning and engaging in great conversations, with professors I really admire, and making a difference of some sort in the world. It is still rough at times and I still feel out of place now and then, but I have fallen in love with the life I have at Baylor and in Waco, and that is the best feeling. I haven't felt this sense of joy in community since my theater days back at American University in '08 and '09, and I didn't know how much I missed it.

So, yes, it's a lot, but whatever this semester has to bring, I say- bring it on! (and maybe also bring me a 5 hour energy or two)

Fall Semester Shopping

Just a few things I've bought and/or had my eye on for this fall...

1. I gave in and got this tote from Madewell. I had a giftcard, so I don't feel so bad. I think it will be perfect for hauling books and everything to school. I love that it's simple and classic. (Madewell)

2. I bought this dress a couple months ago (seen on Dearest Lou) and have been saving it. I'm not sure for what, but I love it, and I think it's great for fall. (Wallis)

3. I love me some dotted Toms... (Toms)

4. These are simple and cute, and would be great for internship. (Sole Society)

5. I had a shirt like this from J.Crew though in grey, but it got stolen in San Antonio, so I snatched another up on sale. (J. Crew)

6. This is a great fall color, and I like the lace detailing. (J. Crew)

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Summer Lately

Some shots of summer life lately. Despite the circumstances, and once I got used to having a more laid-back schedule and figured out how to appreciate free time, I've been enjoying the summer. I've been working, hanging out with friends, making a few trips to IKEA, eating froyo, watching Netflix, and spending mornings at the park with Luna. School (internship and work) starts back up in a couple of weeks, and while I'm not looking forward to 4:30 wake ups, I will be ready for everything to get started up again, and hope the cool, fall weather comes shortly after. :) Spring semester is primarily internship, so this is my last real semester of classes, hooray!

Oh, I dropped off Luna to stay at a friend's house during my Boston trip; she has an english bulldog and a chihuahua, Lola and Chloe. Luna was shaking she was so nervous at first, but soon they were all playing and running around in the backyard. They were quite a sight to see, three very different dogs all together. She's going to have a great time with them. :)

- From the desk of Mrs. M

It's Friday!

This was a pretty good week.
(1) I took a short afternoon jaunt to Austin to visit the Hogg Foundation and learn a little about HIV.
(2) Target marketplace has these smoothie packets for under $2 and they are delicious. My favorite part of having a healing mouth.
(3) The Pens have been kicking butt, pretty much.
(4) Tuesday evening Kyle and I got froyo to celebrate! I received a really great research assistant/GA position with a great organization, and with some pretty amazing benefits, so I'm very excited! I'll share more later about that.
(5) I really want to go to this. I'm not sure about the word "mission," but I don't hardly care.
(6) We have Magic Mike on Netflix, so that plus ice cream is our Friday evening. :)

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Erin Condren Planner 2

I recently acquired my second Erin Condren planner. I had my first one for about four months before it was stolen, and when the new year came around I decided I had to get a new one. Let's face it, it's hard to go back to any old planner after experiencing the level of organization that comes with an EC planner. You can see my first post on the planner here, and this time I decided to give you a quick look at how I use it, as a grad student/wife/dedicated planner. It's pretty simple.

The planner has three sections labeled "morning," "day" and "night." I use the morning section to record the happenings of the day- class times, meetings, appointments, etc. I use the middle section to list assignments due that day, or on the weekends I write my To Do list here. The bottom section I use to write what's for dinner each week day, keep track of workouts, reminders, and any other info for the day.

I don't really color code things, though I have a large variety of colors to use and will select things to stand out when needed. I generally use black or blue pen. The first time around I didn't use too many of the stickers that come with the planner, but I've already been using them more (I just have to use a regular ultra fine point Sharpie to write on them as opposed to other pens). I also use washi tape when the occasion calls for it! :) Such as marking multi-day events.

Anyway, that's all there is to it!

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Grad School, Part 1 of 4

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Side Note: I actually don't spend any time on the lovely Baylor campus. The social work building is downtown Waco (only a few minutes drive away), and we have our own computer lab, and I don't use libraries, and parking is free at SSW, so I'm never on main campus. I actually got a GA position where I would have been driving a golf cart all around campus, but then they realized I'm a social work student, and they couldn't give me the position as funding came from big Baylor graduate school (they're separated). That was dumb, but moving on. 

This first semester of grad school was really...fine. It wasn't particularly difficult, but I am one of those annoying people who likes school and doesn't procrastinate. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but that is mostly because I wake up much earlier than I need to, and don't go to bed as early as I maybe should. The amount of work was completely manageable, though I'm expecting things to get more difficult this next semester. I don't feel like my home life suffered, either; towards the end I was probably cooking dinner less frequently, but neither my house nor relationship fell to ruin. It maybe helps that I have no friendships down here to maintain, sad as that sounds. The commute to Waco wasn't bad, either. I had to drive in three days a week, and the half hour-40 minute drive isn't bad, except for all the trucks and bad Texas drivers. Most importantly, I haven't been weighed down by working in a field that can be thoroughly depressing. I spend my days at internship hearing directly from the victims about all the horrible things that have been done to them, and the bad things they have done as a result, but for whatever reason, I'm not really fazed by it. I used to wonder if I am just cold, but ultimately this is a quality that will allow me to work longer and harder in this field, where burnout is common and employee turnover rates high (on the positive- there is always a demand for social workers, and I could work pretty much anywhere). 

Everyone at the School of Social Work is very nice, encouraging, and supportive. I've never met more nice and genuinely caring people as the social work; I was a little taken aback at first, thinking, "wait, are you really like this, like, for real?" It is weird, sometimes being singled out as the only person that doesn't believe in God in class. I don't mind talking about it, and I've offered up that information willingly, but I do wish there was more diversity in that regard, because then all of the examples are from a particular faith perspective that all the teachers and most of the students share. I do think that Baylor is a bit behind in its ideas of diversity and cultural competence, in particular when there was a diversity panel, made up of a black woman, a mixed ethnicity guy, and a Mexican woman. That was supposed to equal diversity, and it left all the white students thinking they have no voice in that discussion. I do think some of the curriculum could be changed a bit, but overall I think classes were helpful and related strongly to my internship. My internship went well, also, though there were struggles within the agency, with staff quitting or being let go left and right, including my field instructor, but hopefully next semester will run more smoothly there. Part way through the semester I also got a graduate assistant position, and I'll be working with a professor for the remainder of the year. The primary research for that has been discrepancies with adoptions and health care when it comes to race, and how community outrage can lead to state legislation. 

As I was not a social work undergrad, I definitely feel I've learned a lot about the profession in this first semester. I am, however, still quite uncertain as to what I want to do after I take my license test, graduate, and have LMSW attached to my name (aside from leaving Texas and having all the babies). Social workers work in just about every setting you could thing of, helping people in whatever ways they need. I could work in a hospital, or a school district, or with veterans, kids, people who are dying or people who are struggling to live. Social workers work with a whole person, that includes their spiritual and cultural beliefs, their socioeconomic status, physical well being, mental and emotional state, their surrounding environment, family, community, state and country. At this point I'm not sure what exactly I want to do, but my interest in macro social work, dealing with community movements, social policy and more "big picture" stuff has been growing (I think since watching The West Wing I have this romantic notion of moving back to DC and fighting to make the world a better place. oops). My experience, even before school, however, is with adolescents and their families, in behavioral and mental health facilities. Next semester, though, are the community practice classes, and I will be working with adults and the elderly at my internship, so I may gain a better idea of where I want to take my skills and interest. 

With social work, you really, really have to think a lot about your life, thoughts, beliefs and perspectives, because you can't let them get in the way of helping a client. So we have done a lot of self-reflection over the semester, and a lot of talking about ourselves, odd as it may sound. I have become way more aware of what I think is right and what is not right, and in that become more politically charged, particularly when it comes to social issues (it was really amusing being the only one showing up to class happy the day after the election). This semester fell in line with a pretty violent and surprise separation between my parents, and I know honing in on this social work perspective that I already naturally had, has helped me work through that personal situation as well. Ultimately, while I oddly did have some reoccurring terrible migraines and had to be put on preventative medicine, I had a good and relatively low-stress start to my masters program, complete with all As and a new appreciation for, well, everything. 

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Christmas Break To Do

With the completion of my one final and a 100% score on my final paper, Christmas break is officially here! One quarter of the way done with grad school, hooray! Kyle and I will be going up to PA in a couple weeks to spend Christmas up there, and we'll be back here for New Years. I wanted to spend the holiday down here, but oh well; whats four more days spent driving between TX and PA again (with unhappy cats). School starts back up the second week of January; I am anticipating a tougher semester than this last one (which was not tough). But anyway, I want to try to make the most of my winter break, by doing the following!

- Hopefully spend some time in the Pennsylvania snow!
- Go for walks to see the neighborhood lights
- Bake and cook
- Read! I'm starting with rereading The Hobbit to prepare for the movie release on December 14. After that, I may take recommendations from this list.

- See The Hobbit! and Les Mis. ouiouioui
- Watch some Christmas films! Love Actually, you're up next. (/the only Christmas film I own)
- Send out Christmas cards and mail gifts
- Figure out and order wedding photos
- Research internships for next year
- Eat at some State College favorites (The Waffle Shop)
- Try to sleep enough
- Blog more

photos from Christmastime, last year

What are you up to this holiday season?

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Done for Now

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I've just completed my last assignment for the semester! All that remains is a final- which is taken online/at home, and we have two days to complete, and is open-book, and is a compilation of all the quizzes we've had, so it requires no studying or study guide making. I think these cats with party hats are a good representation of how I feel. Enthusiasm masked by pretty much just wanting to sleep. :)

- Mrs. M

Football Fail

Yesterday Kyle and I met up with some social work folks and stuffed ourselves into a car with less seats than butts, and headed to the first Baylor football game of the season! As students who pay a nice student fee, we get our tickets "for free!!" (but not really), but Kyle's was $30 as a guest. We got in to the game about an hour early, took some pictures and watched the place fill up. It was fun to see all the BU football traditions, though I must say I felt a twinge of fear when all the freshman came stampeding toward me (they get to run onto the field and get to feel special for a little bit). It all made me miss Pitt and Heinz stadium with its ketchup bottles that pour out and fill the screen, but it was still entertaining. I could not get into the bear swiping motion, though. Also, undergrads are an odd mix of hilariously trying to be cool and succeeding at being mean. Oh, little ones.

But then, people started passing out. Left and right. Behind me and in front of me.
Let me explain.
So a bit into the first quarter I ventured down to get water for Kyle and I. It was 100 degrees out and our half of the stadium was melting in the sun. Clearly most everyone else in the stadium had the same idea and need for $3 bottles of water, so it was packed and lines took a while. I was surrounded by tiny complaining freshman, and I felt a body brush past my legs- down goes one girl. Another complainer beside me announced that she was seriously going to pass out if she didn't get to the front of the water line. We all let her through and next thing I see someone carrying her off to first aid. I get my water and run into Kyle on the way back to our seats, and he's telling me about some members of our group passing out or maybe passing out (all while not knowing their names and trying as best he could to describe them- he resorted to the technique from Zombieland- calling people the states they were from).

Fast forward to just about half time, and we're heading out of the stadium to leave the game. The two in our party who passed out were OK, but I guess people wanted to leave, and they were our ride, so we went with them. It was unfortunate because the shade had arrived at our section in the stands, so we'd made it past the hottest part of the game (also Kyle paid $30 for the ticket), but oh well. We'll probably go to another game, later in the season, and drive our own car in. It was fun while it lasted, though!

 Here come the freshmen!

 shots of some actual football happening

Oh, PS- Baylor totally dominated SMU and won 59-24. With how Pitt and PSU did on Saturday, we are glad we've got at least one team getting the job done. :)

- Mrs. M