Anna Foldenauer '10, Sunshine Clubhouse
I want to be a social worker because I have always had the desire to help others. When I first came to Saint Mary's I did not know what I wanted to major in, but I did know I wanted to choose a major that consisted of helping other individuals. At first, I thought about education since I have had the experience of helping children in school settings. Then, I took a social work course and fell in love with it and decided I wanted to help others, but not through teaching. The idea of helping others and making a difference in their lives is a wonderful field and vocation, which I am proud of.
Since graduation, I have moved to Boston, MA where I will start my advanced standing MSW program at Boston College in January. In the meantime, I have been keeping myself busy working at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. It was voted the 12th best hospital in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report. I work in the care coordination department where I assist with discharge planning with nurses and social workers. It's a different experience than working at a psychiatric hospital, but I am learning a lot about the medical field, including terminology and insurance issues with rehab and skilled nursing facility referrals. In addition, I am also engaged! Mark Coomes, (ND '03) proposed to me on August 28, 2004 and I, of course, accepted! He is currently at Brown Medical School in Providence, RI which is only a 45 minute car ride from Boston. So it's nice to have someone familiar in a new and strange place.
I have been extremely busy since graduating from the SMC social work program last May. In June, I started the advanced standing program at Arizona State University. It has been an intense program, but I feel that Saint Mary's fully prepared me for graduate school. I also started my internship in August at Pima County Child Protective Services, which has been fun and challenging. I was also just recently married on December 18, 2004 to Josh Beck (ND '99).
Sarah is attending Graduate School at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She recently received the Chicago Foundling Home Scholarship for her academic achievement. Congratulations Sarah!
