Grove City College Social Work students are honing their professional skills this fall in internships with a variety of public and private agencies and organizations across the region.
The College’s faith-based Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program combines rigorous academics with a Christ-centered perspective that equips students to approach social work with compassion, integrity, and a strong ethical foundation, according to Program Director Dr. Jennifer Hollenberger. To properly prepare graduates, the accredited program requires a 400-hour field placement so students can gain real-world experience.
“This hands-on experience prepares students to serve effectively in the profession while integrating their faith in their work,” Hollenberger said. Grove City Social Work students have a host of placement options, from faith-based and regional service providers to programs in Chicago, Baltimore, Uganda, or Ecuador, some of which offer paid positions.
This year’s class of fall interns is the largest in the program’s history. They are working with adults and children in placements in Grove City Area School District, the Lighthouse Foundation, Butler County Adult Probation, and other agencies.
Megan Brock, a senior from Renfrew, Pa., is interning with Glade Run Lutheran Services’ Acute Partial Hospitalization Program for teenagers with serious mental health issues. It provides a school-like structure for clients, offering group and individual therapy along with education. Brock will be helping with group therapy sessions, documenting the youths’ progress, and discussing concerns with Glade Run’s treatment team.
The environment is different from the classroom, she said. “It allows me to grow, learn, and gain experience in the mental health field. I get to see the skills and theories talked about in class play out in real social work practice which is really cool,” she said. Noting her own battles, Brock said she feels “called to help others with their mental health.”
Coincidentally, Brock's supervisor at Glade Run is Madelyn Van Til ’19, a Grove City College alumna who minored in social work.
Haley Hertzler, a senior from White Oak, Pa., is working for Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, an agency that directs a variety of programs to assist, educate, and promote self-sufficiency in people to combat poverty, from GED and parenting classes to employment services and housing assistance.
Hertzler is happy to land the internship and passionate about getting into the field. “It is an awesome opportunity to apply what I have learned in the classrooms these past three years to the professional environment,” she said. There is a “a lot of unknown and variety” to social work and Grove City College’s faith-based approach has made her ready for the challenges.
“I chose GCC’s program because I wanted to learn how to ethically integrate my faith into work. I wanted to be under the guidance of professors who have experience of being Christian social workers,” Hertzler said.
Grove City College’s BSW degree focuses on preparing students for competent and compassionate service in social work, a profession dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities flourish. Graduates are prepared for work in schools, healthcare facilities, public and private welfare agencies, nonprofits, and other settings in a variety of roles, including case managers, therapists, program directors, mental health counselors, and advocates.
Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the BSW program ensures students are prepared for licensure and helps them qualify for advanced standing in master’s programs, reducing the time and expense of earning an advanced degree.
Post-graduate employment for the last several years has been 100%, Hollenberger said, and recent alumni have pursued graduate degrees at the University of Michigan, Baylor University, Reformed Theological Seminary, and other leading institutions. Graduates have also gone onto work for U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Bethany Christian Services, and The Philadelphia Project.
For more about the Bachelor of Social Work program at Grove City College, visit gcc.edu/socw.