As a senior social work major, I have observed a few changes in my knowledge base from my junior year responses.  A majority of my responses were the same but some of my knowledge has become a bit more advanced. Studying abroad in Ecuador for five months was life changing. It really opened my eye to an entire new outlook on life. While in Ecuador, I interned at an organization that worked with low-income families who sought out affordable medical services. Having a background in working with geriatric clientele, it was a change to be working with young children who suffered from terminal or chronic illnesses.

                My experience abroad was a bit of a struggle since I needed to speak and write in Spanish on a daily basis. It is interesting to be able to compare social work between the two countries. Working with a different supervisor this year at Masonic Village has also been helpful in increasing my social work knowledge. I am definitely more aware now about the types of abuse clients can face. I recently attended a resident advocacy training session last week and a big topic that was discussed was types of abuse. Several types of abuse were mentioned that college courses do not always cover. I enjoy learning something new every day at my internship. I want to continue with helping my social work knowledge expand.