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In honor of this past month being designated Social Work Month by the National Association of Social Workers, we are proud to feature Shakira Gibson, a Master of Social Work intern from California State University Stanislaus. Shakira has been assisting the ̽����ѡ in Turlock/Modesto since September with its Afghan Path Towards Wellness program, which focuses on the mental and physical well-being of Afghan women who have come to the United States as refugees or other special immigrants. (Interview by Perry Fishel)

Q. What is your name and position?

A. Shakira Gibson. Master of Social Work Intern for the Afghan Path Towards Wellness program.

Q. How did you become involved in social work?

A. I first decided I wanted to be a therapist after seeking treatment in the military. For a while, those experiences were controlling my life. I went to a therapist and she helped me through a lot of it, and I was able to regain my life back and thought, “Wow this is great! I want to do this for other people.” I asked my therapist what the best route was to get there, and she told me to start by becoming a licensed clinical social worker. I started to go down that path of becoming an LCSW, first starting my undergrad education studying sociology. I wanted to work specifically with veterans because I myself am a veteran and I can understand a lot of the things they are experiencing and areas they need help with, in terms of mental health and the stigma around why they don’t always go for treatment. So I got my first job in the field working at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Q. What made you want to intern for the ̽����ѡ?

A. I liked the fact that this position involves resourcing and case management because I really love networking and being knowledgeable about resources that can help clients. I also liked that the program I work in is focused on mental health and getting rid of the stigma around it. Because of that, this experience is helping to prepare me for the route I’m on towards working in therapy.

Q. What has been the most rewarding part of your internship thus far?

A. Seeing the progress in clients! A lot of them come to me and they want ESL classes, so I help them enroll. When we first started off our conversations, a few of these clients needed interpreters, and today I just met with one and she no longer needs an interpreter. To see that growth in her and to know that I’m actually helping people is what’s really rewarding to me.

Q.  Has there been a specific moment when you realized the impact of your internship work?

A. To be honest, I feel like it happens all the time. We help clients that have been here for five years or less, but for me, I’ve had experiences with clients who have even been here for a year or less. I see that they’re moving here and need a lot of help. They need help with everything from getting connected to ESL classes so that they can learn the language and feel like they are more a part of our society to getting resources like furniture and other assets like cell phones. It’s impactful to see that there is a need and that our organization is really helping these clients fulfill those needs.

Q. Who or what inspires you?

A. The first person that comes to mind is my husband. He has the mentality that you should never give up and need to just keep going. The pandemic has made things so much more challenging. He inspires me to push through and keep doing the best I can.

Q. What hobbies do you have outside of work?

A. I like to play the violin. I’ve been playing for a year and a half, so I’m definitely still a student, but it’s been fun to learn. I love to exercise; I run everyday. And I also love to watch TV. Not sure if that’s a hobby, but I enjoy it!

Q. What are you looking forward to a year from now?

A. Graduating! That’s definitely what I’m looking forward to the most. To know that I’ve made it through the program and being able to apply everything that I’ve learned to my future job. Wherever that may be.

Q. Why should others choose to support or get involved with the ̽����ѡ?

A. The short answer is because we do great things. But really because we are helping so many people improve their lives. I work with SIV immigrants who come here on a Special Immigrant Visa that they earned working with our military. The work we do at the ̽����ѡ is almost a way of giving back to them and thanking them for their service. Plus, supporting the ̽����ѡ would help our clients become secure and self-sufficient so they can have a better experience in their new home.