Andrea Avalos, a junior majoring in Social Welfare and Psychology with a certificate in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies, is from Chicago. Get to know Andrea, one of our amazing undergrads, in this Q&A feature!

What has been one of your favorite college memories so far?

My favorite college memory so far has been “Friendsgiving” with my friends. After midterms, we all cooked a bunch of food, then ate and played games afterwards.

What do you hope to do after college? 

After college, I want to go to graduate school and pursue my master’s in social work. With a master’s in social work, I am still debating between individual therapy, medical social work, and school social work.

Why did you choose a social work major?

At the beginning, I chose social work because I wanted to become a therapist, and it seemed like a more convenient route rather than psychology. After taking classes and being a part of the social work community, I feel like I started to see beyond that. Social work offers so many open doors, and you can take any route that feels best for you. There are micro, mezzo, and macro levels, and I haven’t figured out exactly what I want to do yet, but I know for a fact that I’m going down the right path and am considering every single level. I also believe that social work is very rewarding, even just studying it, because you have an “aha” moment where everything we see in modern society starts to make sense, and we understand why things are the way they are today. I think social work is a hard profession but very rewarding to the right people. The major has taught me so much and given me perspectives I never previously had.

How would you describe your experience in the social work program so far?

Instructors and professors within the social work program have made me feel supported and seen. People in this program genuinely want the best for you and push you to succeed. Additionally, people are filled with passion, and you can see that through the lectures and assignments you complete. They make you feel that same passion and drive for social justice.

What has been your favorite course in the program so far and why?

My favorite ultimate course has been Social Work 316, Power and Possibility, with Dr. Laura Dresser. Her lectures are filled with powerful information and insights. During class, we had daily discussions where we were able to fully express our thoughts and had the freedom to talk about hard issues that are not really talked about. At the end of the semester, we had a project where we applied our new knowledge and passion for social issues and used it to create actual change in our community. I think it is very easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset that small changes cannot undo larger systemic issues, but this class gave me hope and optimism that small things can go a very long way.

What would you say to someone considering this major?

This is an amazing major to be a part of. I think if you feel like you have the passion and drive for it, 100% do it. Even if you do not necessarily want to become a social worker in the future, there are many other opportunities this major may bring you.

What’s something on your bucket list and why?

I want to visit Switzerland!