By Belen Dougherty
University Times Staff
PRESQUE ISLE MAINE – In 1984, the White House officially designated March as National Social Work Month. The University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI), accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), provides a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). This program has opened doors for students who aspire to make a difference.
Serena Lufkin, social work major student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle ME
Serena Lufkin completed her general education courses at UMPI before officially pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work. She said that her coach and friends thought she’d be a great fit for the field. Lufkin was not sure what social work entailed, even having negative feelings about the field that carried on from her upbringing, “Even when I was younger, I always thought social workers were the bad guys, cuz that’s how I was taught.”
Despite these sentiments, she followed her curiosity in social work and since making that decision, said she has “no regrets.”
This March, Lufkin shares the heart, drive, and passion BSW majors hold as they continue their education in this multifaceted social justice field.
“We’re here to help people, we’re here to make the community a better place, we’re here to support. You know we’re here to just be the hero that people who are vulnerable, people who can’t help themselves, people who need it you know that’s what we’re here for them.” Lufkin adds how essential social workers are to the fabric of our communities and the superpowers social workers hold.
“That’s really powerful in its own way, to trust someone that you don’t know…cuz that’s not very typical these days but that’s why we are here, to prove that you can still trust in your community and you can still get the help you need.”
