In This Story
Carolyn Leonard, a MSW ’22 student, says the art was inspired by this year’s theme for National Social Work Month: social workers are essential.
Carolyn Leonard is a student in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. In her clinical course with Dr. Holly Matto, Creative Arts in Social Work (SOCW 664), Leonard was prompted to create art based on phrases closely related to the 2021 theme for National Social Work Month.
March is National Social Work Month, and the theme for this year is: social workers are essential. Today, there are more than 700,000 social workers in the U.S., and the need for the profession continues to grow. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, social work has been more essential than ever in creating resources for underserved communities and being committed to justice and equity
“As someone coming to social work after having a career in a different discipline, I imagined myself embracing social work, and much of the image quickly developed from there,” she says on her artwork which depicts a warm figure embracing the various aspects of social work in bright colors.
“It has shown me how diverse, dedicated, smart, and vibrant social workers are,” Leonard remarks on the program. The College’s MSW program has allowed her to understand the rich variety of knowledge under social work—from public policy to clinical procedure. Leonard has become more interested in economics and the ways in which it affects different parts of social work. She has met amazing students and has been guided by wonderful faculty, too. Now that she has been grounded in the discipline, she looks forward to her specialist practicum next year. Leonard is expected to graduate in 2022.
Upon completion of the program, Leonard has plans to become a licensed clinical social worker. She also hopes to maintain connections with her local community and government through volunteer work.