Closing the Semester by Jeni Kanis and Grace Snyder

It seems like just a few days ago we sat down to write you our first blogs, and now, here we are at the end of a whirlwind adventure! We cannot believe all that we have experienced and learned in such a short amount of time. As we come to the close of the semester, we want to explore a few final thoughts.

Looking back, we are so thankful for the wide variety of experiences we have had. Grace had the opportunity to work on several different units in the hospital, interacting directly with patients of all ages and backgrounds to bring them resources and address the needs of their diagnosis in connection with other medical professionals. With this range of experiences, she learned to appreciate working with a diverse group of people like mothers and children and mental health patients.  Jeni got to work with a variety of clients ranging from children to elderly over the course of the semester in addition to working with therapists to provide learning opportunities as well as resources for clients.

By being in the workplace, and having all of these experiences, we learned to appreciate the stress and fulfillment that working in this environment can bring. By working closely with professionals, we learned to take on responsibility and learned to act as professional social workers ourselves. We had the opportunity to ask our supervisors questions and get feedback while observing and eventually leading sessions or assessments.

Our city context also provided us with so many wonderful opportunities to explore, learn and eat. We both were so happy we had the opportunity to wake up in the morning and go on a run or walk which provided different sights and sounds each day. The city seems to always be changing just enough to keep you on your toes. Even though this was a simple pleasure, it was so refreshing to have this opportunity.

As we move on from our semester, Grace is planning to go to graduate school for social work in June, but in the meantime, she is looking into overseas volunteer opportunities related to counseling and resource provision for human trafficking victims. Jeni’s plans are to return to Dordt in the spring, this time as an employee working for the theater department as the technical director. Then she will be getting married in June and exploring opportunities in the Minneapolis area.

Thanks for journeying through the semester with us! We have learned so much and hope this blog gives you at least a glimpse of our experiences.