Shakea Roper

I attribute my success to persistence, resourcefulness, and a willingness to seek support while still taking responsibility for the direction of my life. I learned early that my circumstances did not have to determine my future. As a teenage mother, I decided to enter a transitional living program, earn my GED, and pursue higher education because I knew I wanted something different for myself and my daughter.

I have also benefited from people who helped me recognize possibilities I could not always see for myself. Those experiences taught me the importance of both personal agency and meaningful support. Throughout my career, I have continued to set new goals, remain open to learning, and move forward even when the path has not been straightforward. I believe success has come from that combination: accepting support when it is available, creating opportunities when they are not readily available, and continuing to make progress rather than waiting for perfect circumstances.

The best career advice I’ve received is to remain open to opportunities, even when they do not look exactly like the path I originally envisioned. My career in social work has taken me through many different settings and populations, and each experience has added something valuable to how I practice, lead, and understand people today.

I have also learned not to wait until I feel completely ready before taking the next step. Growth often requires being willing to learn as you go, to ask questions, to seek guidance, and to trust the experience you have already gained. Some of the most important opportunities in my career have come from being willing to take that next step and see where it leads.

My advice to young women entering social work is to remember: progress, not perfection. You do not have to have your entire career figured out when you begin, and you do not have to know everything before you take the next step.

Social work offers so many different paths, populations, and opportunities. Be willing to explore them. Ask questions, seek supervision and mentorship, learn from your experiences, and give yourself permission to change direction as you discover what fits you.

Most importantly, do not let the belief that you have to be perfectly prepared keep you from moving forward. Some steps will be big, and others will be small, but they all count. Focus on continuing to learn, grow, and make progress. Perfection is not the goal—progress is.

One of the biggest challenges in behavioral health and social work is access. People may recognize that they need support and still face barriers related to cost, insurance, location, provider availability, transportation, or finding a professional who understands their experiences. At the same time, the professionals providing those services are often working within systems that are understaffed, overextended, and difficult to navigate.

I also see tremendous opportunity. Telehealth has expanded how and where we can reach people, and there is growing recognition that mental health support does not have to exist only within the traditional therapy room. We can use education, community-based programs, technology, prevention, and other accessible resources to give people tools before they reach a crisis.

I believe the future of the field requires us to do both: continue providing strong individual care while also examining and changing the systems that influence who receives support, when they receive it, and what that support looks like.

The values most important to me are authenticity, personal agency, connection, fairness, and progress. I believe people should have the space to be honest about who they are, what they need, and what they want for their lives without feeling that they have to perform or fit someone else’s expectations.

I value supporting people without taking away their ability to make their own choices. Whether in therapy, leadership, friendships, or community, I believe in providing information, creating opportunities, offering support, and then respecting people’s right to determine what is best for themselves.

Connection is also very important to me. I believe people need people, but meaningful connection requires more than simply being around one another. It requires honesty, reciprocity, respect, and a willingness to show up for each other.

Finally, I believe strongly in progress, not perfection. Growth does not always happen in a straight line, and success does not require getting everything right. What matters to me is continuing to learn, being willing to make changes when something is not working, and leaving people, organizations, and communities better than I found them.