Welcome to a day in my life as a senior Cedarville social work student!
7 a.m.
Senait Scheie (left) with roommate, Kaitlyn Davis (right).
I begin my Tuesdays at 7 a.m., getting ready to run errands and grab coffee with my roommate. As I’m in the last year of Cedarville’s social work program, I only have social work classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, so my roommate and I drive to Kroger for our regular “roomie dates.”
We try to convince the other to order a new drink, but we usually end up ordering that safe latte that hasn’t failed us yet. Our quick grocery run includes the necessities like eggs, fruit, and of course a healthy supply of orange juice.
10 a.m.
Our stroll through Kroger is cut short as we need to run back to campus for chapel at 10 a.m. While there is no assigned seating in the Jeremiah Chapel, we always end up sitting in the same center rows of the first floor with our friends. As a faithful notetaker, I often balance coffee in one hand, a pen in the other, and my blue chapel journal in my lap.
Cedarville has had many wonderful speakers come to campus, but every year I look forward to Sam Alberry’s sermons in chapel. He has influenced the way I think about some major social issues, as well as my personal walk with the Lord.
11 a.m.
After squeezing through the crowd of chattering students leaving chapel, I walk to the Stevens Student Center for an hour of work in the admissions office. My tasks include answering incoming phone calls to Cedarville, scheduling visits, and contributing to the overall experience of prospective students on event days.
For larger admissions events, I will help register prospective students and families, provide directions on campus, and even lead a competitive cross-campus scavenger hunt for the incoming students.
12 p.m.
At 12 p.m. I walk across the building to the cafeteria to grab a to-go box and head to my 12:30 p.m. class. Ms. Becca scans me in every Tuesday afternoon in the cafeteria, and she always encourages me to enjoy the day God has made. I normally combine some rice, veggies, and chicken for my lunch, religiously checking to see if there are carrots and hummus that day. After quickly picking up my lunch, I sit outside the classroom from 12:10-12:30 p.m. with everyone in my social work class.
12:30 p.m.
At 12:30 p.m. sharp we begin Research Methods for Social Workers with Dr. Sherr, the Associate Dean of the Social Work program at Cedarville. He always begins his class with a devotional from Scripture, reading the passage and asking us how the truths of the Bible apply to social work and research.
These past few weeks, our class has been presenting and defending proposals for research projects we have researched and compiled. I was nervous to take this class because I had little exposure to the language and background for this area of academia, and I did not see how research skills would pertain to my career. However, I have enjoyed learning how to read research articles with a critical eye and conduct my own research on health care access of immigrants, an area of social work that I am passionate about.
2 p.m.
Between 2 and 3 p.m., I normally run to Chick-fil-A and pick up another coffee before beginning an hour of studying. I generally check emails and read a chapter from my book for Diversity Book Club on Wednesday.
3 p.m.
When 3 p.m. comes around, I am full of caffeine and ready for my next class, which is Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations, or “Macro Social Work” for short. Dr. Sherr also teaches this senior-level class, faithfully beginning class with another devotional and challenge to think critically.
In this class, Dr. Sherr shares his experience working in communities on a larger scale to bring about larger change. In this course we learn the practical steps and skills necessary to gather members of the community and bring about connection and eventually change.
As a class we have collaborated with a community organizer in the area to contact social workers, Christians, and agencies in the Dayton area as a step to bridging the church and human services gap. Through this project I have learned how to professionally contact working social workers, how to capture their interest for the vision, and how to connect them to churches and pastors in the area. We will finish our class project with a real community gathering held in April for pastors, social workers, and professional helpers to meet one another and begin potentially long-term relationships.
5 p.m.
My second class with Dr. Sherr ends around 4:30 or 5 p.m., so I normally speed walk across campus to attend my student org’s meeting. I serve as the president of MISO, the multicultural international student organization (no relation to the soup), and I generally lead our meetings with an agenda.
MISO recently planned an international student worship night on campus, so as a team we collaborate to plan, market, and execute the event for the students on campus. As president I have the privilege of getting to know each member on the team, encouraging their specific strengths, and keeping the team on track so we can continue to organize events for the student body.
6 p.m.
When the post-meeting conversations have wrapped up, I normally walk to Tossed, our soup and salad place on campus, and order a spinach wrap with chicken and (always) balsamic vinegar dressing.
7 p.m.
My Tuesday nights normally end with a study session in the library or the Student Center. Generally, I study with my close friends so we can take breaks from studying to catch up with each other. Once we get to the end of our conversations and our work, we bundle up and walk back to the dorm for a quick shower, time in God’s Word, and an ambitiously early bedtime.
Thank you for coming along with me on my Tuesday as a senior social work student! My four years at Cedarville have helped me to grow, and I could not recommend Cedarville’s biblically integrated programs more highly. Make sure to check out Cedarville’s social work program to learn more about how it prepares you for practice and grad school!
Year:
Major: Social Work
Tags: #college, #experience, #student, #studentlife
Posted in: College Life, Lifestyle, Student Guide, Student Life