I
still remember my first month at Penn's MSW program as an international student
from China. Feeling a little upset, overwhelmed, and anxious after the first
few weeks of study, I began to ask myself: Is it a right choice for me to come
and study social work in the United States?
Although
having learned English a long time ago, I had never lived or studied abroad for
more than a month. The four to six page application essay required for
admission to Penn’s MSW program was the longest essay I had ever written in
English. Therefore, I could not imagine how I would survive taking four classes
a semester, with each class requiring at least three papers in a semester. I
was also astonished by how fast people here at Penn speak in English; it was
much faster than what I had been exposed to in China. I remember running into
Dr. Mary Mazzola, the Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Global
Outreach one day after class. She greeted me and asked how I felt about my
class and field placement. I told her that I had many worries and concerns. She
calmed me down with a caring look and said "I know you will make it, you just
need to try."
I
doubted whether I would be able to make it at that time, but I knew that I needed
to try, no matter how hard it was. I cannot remember how many times I stayed up
late at night trying to finish readings or compete with a deadline and would
still get up early for field placement the next day. Often times I felt
exhausted, but studying at Penn's MSW program had been a dream for me, and I
cherished every moment of it, no matter how difficult it seemed at the
beginning. I kept trying and worked hard, believing what Hegel had said, that
quantity changes would one day lead to quality changes.
After
the first two months, things started to get better. As my foundation knowledge
of social work grew and with more experience in field placement, things began
to make better sense to me. I was very lucky to have found numerous supports
from my professors, my peers in school, and other administrative staff at Penn
and SP2. Finally at the end of the first semester, I realized I was
"enjoying" my life at SP2. It was the first time that I realize how
much potential existed in me. However, I experience many other “first times” as
a student at Penn. I gained many
meaningful and significant "first time" experiences that included: my
first time working with refugees, Alzheimer’s patients, and the LGBTQ
population; my first time counseling clients; my first time co-facilitating a
group for clients; my first invitation to a Thanksgiving home dinner from
my professor and classmates; and my first time truly appreciating the social work profession.
I
was amazed by how I could influence positive changes for clients by using my
social work skills of listening
attentively, being empathic with my clients, by having a non-judgmental
attitude, by respecting the right of clients to self-determination, by connecting clients
to relevant resources, by responding to and taking actions to promote
inequality and injustice and by sharpening my professional skills. I was also
pleasantly surprised by how much Penn’s MSW program has changed me.
I have
gained a better understanding of loss, trauma, mental health problems, poverty,
discrimination, and many other individual and social problems. I began to think
more about how the social environment can influence human behavior. Instead of
simply making a judgment about certain behaviors, I started to ask the “why”
question. The more suffering I saw in my clients, the more I applauded them for
their efforts, courage, strength and resilience. I also learned to take better
care of myself, knowing that by having a balance in my life and caring for my
own wellness I can better serve other people.
Before
graduation, I was offered the opportunity to work with SP2’s Global Engagement
Initiative. I worked under Dr. Mary Mazzola and Dr. Irene Wong to coordinate
the China-US Health and Mental Health Social Work Conference in Beijing, to host summer
exchange students from Beijing Normal University, and to assist with other
global engagement activities and programs. I was part of the team, which built
a cross-national and interdisciplinary partnership between Penn and
universities in China. Being part of an interdisciplinary team, whose purpose
is to connect social work education and practice between China and the US, was another
dream for me. That dream has become a reality because of the opportunity and
support SP2 provided, the perfect timing for Penn to reach out to global
partners, and my continual pursuit of new dreams.
I do not know where life will lead me in the future, but I know I will proceed to
make better changes to other people and myself. Looking back to the moment when
I made the decision to attend Penn’s MSW program three years ago, I feel lucky
that I made a good choice. SP2 to me is a place to grow and learn, a place to
dream, and a place for dreams to come true.
(Yuyuan Liu, MSW, LSW is an alumna of SP2’s MSW program. In her role as the Global Initiatives Coordinator, she works closely with the Associate Dean of Enrollment Management & Global Outreach and the Faculty Director of International Programs to enhance the school’s global vision of increasing understanding of SP2’s global community, fostering mutually beneficial global engagement initiatives, and measuring the impact of SP2’s global endeavors. Yuyuan’s past experience has included working at Penn HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Division, Penn Memory Center & Geriatric Psychiatry and Nationalities Service Center. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Peking University in Beijing, China.)
