Her Story
About Carol
I've been in the social work field for 40 years since 1985, and I've mostly been an educator and trainer around social work issues. During the 1980s, I taught safety, birth control, and sexual health to people with disabilities and any group really, focusing on preventing sexual assault. During the HIV crisis, it was very important to get the word out about condoms and protection, and it was kind of fun and exciting to be on that front. For the past 23 years, I've been teaching for Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, addressing a lot of issues around keeping children safe and healthy, including domestic violence, internet safety, and teaching children about their bodies. For the last 17-18 years, I've been going to prisons here in Indiana and talking to the men about being healthy fathers and nurturing fathers, which was a very proud moment in my career. I'm currently between jobs but starting a new position as a CPR instructor trainer. I chose education because I wanted to affect large groups of people rather than working as a therapist with individuals.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Carol
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a lot of people who invested in my life, early and ongoing. My mentors and peers, my parents and my family were very invested in 4-H, and those 10 years of being dedicated as a kid to one thing and serving others as part of that really shaped me. My church was also very important. I would say my sparkling personality helps too! But really, it's the foundation that all these people and experiences gave me that has allowed me to do this work for 40 years.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
A lot of people leave social work after about 4 years, and that's unfortunate. I get it, because most of the time it has to do with the pay, but if some people could hang in there and keep striving for that better job, maybe we wouldn't lose so many people. So my advice over the years has been to try to hang tough and stay in there. People need us.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in social work are the pay and the lack of recognition. First responders get a lot of attention, and really, social workers are first responders as well, along with teachers. Social workers do not get much attention, and yet we are there, we are teaching, we are helping families, and supporting families. Sometimes social work can be a bad taste in people's mouths because of their interactions they've had to have, but overall, people come back around and say thank you for helping me with my addiction or thank you for helping me save my children in this situation, though it may be after people have gotten healthier themselves. In the overall general public, we don't get much attention. We don't lobby for our pay raises like teachers can do. We feel like it's unethical to go on strike for better pay because people are hurting.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are the incredible ethics that social workers have, which are about looking out for people and protecting people. Social workers have been found to be the safest people to be around your children, even when compared to other therapies. Being honest, reliable, showing up, and being there for people are core values I hold. It's about having that commitment to protecting people and supporting families through difficult times.
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