Finding her voice

Jackie Wilson, a 2022 Social Work graduate, reflects on the opportunity to control her own narrative.

What were your key takeaways from Minnesota State Mankato?

College taught me two important lessons—finding my personal voice and finding my professional voice. As an African woman, I was always silenced. Sadly, it was safest to be silent because once I spoke my accent came out and I was always branded as different even though I’ve been in this country since I was 5 years old.

What did finding your voice mean to you?

First, when it came to finding my personal voice, I had help from my peers and the community. I was a part of the African Student Association and my church community. Being a member of the African Student Association provided a safe place for me to be me and to honor and respect my African heritage without fear of being labeled as different.

Second, finding my professional voice took me a little while to do. I knew I had found my professional voice in one of my last semesters when we were participating in practice interviews for class. This helped me understand that what I say to my clients can have a positive or negative impact on them.

You are a very recent graduate—how’s it going?

Right now, I’m studying for the state licensure and currently working as a youth counselor. I’m still contemplating which path I should take as a social worker. Working at my current job is my way of deciding if I want to pursue working with children or work primarily with adults.