Why Social Work?

Hi, my name is Gianna and I have been the teen parenting program intern since August of 2021. I am a Master’s student studying school social work student at Dominican University after graduating with a B.A. in Psychology from Concordia University Chicago in May of 2021. My college experience was anything but average, and I didn’t even start out in social work. When I graduated high school in 2016, I started college at Illinois State University (ISU) as a Business Management major. After one semester, I knew that business, and ISU, were not the right path for me. I came home and started taking classes at Moraine Valley Community College, without a clue what I wanted to do in life.

Community college often gets a bad reputation. I remember comments in high school saying that people who go to community college “give up” or “aren’t smart enough for real school.” There was even a nickname for Moraine Valley; “Moron Valley.” These comments deterred me from attending Moraine in the first place, even though I didn’t want to go away for school and didn’t know what I wanted to do. When I started attending Moraine, I was so sad and felt like I wasn’t going to amount to anything in life. After taking some classes there, however, I realized that Moraine was not a dumb school, and it ended up being one of my best decisions I could have made.

I took a variety of classes at Moraine, including theater appreciation, film appreciation, and numerous psychology courses. I realized with each psych class I took, the more and more I enjoyed it. I loved learning about the brain and counseling and different disorders, and eventually asked my professor in General Psychology, “What could I do with a Psychology degree?” The answer he gave? Endless options. I graduated Moraine with an Associate’s Degree in May of 2019, and immediately started at Concordia that Fall. This time, I had a sense of who I was, and what I wanted to do.

At Hopeful Beginnings, we understand that every path is unique, and we’re here to support you through every step of your journey. Whether you’re navigating an unplanned pregnancy or seeking guidance, our dedicated team is committed to helping you make informed decisions and find the support you need.