by Rubi Rodriguez
I’m an intern at Central OAC, and I am currently working on obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in social work from Georgia State University. Before arriving at Central OAC, I didn’t know what to expect because I had no practical social work experience. The only experience I had before joining Central OAC was the education I was receiving at GSU. Central OAC has opened my eyes to the fact that there are many people in the world screaming for help, especially the homeless population. Many of those individuals come from complicated situations that led them to experience homeless, and others don’t have a support system that they can depend on. Those individuals look upon us to provide them with services and programs to help them thrive. It may seem like what the OAC provides is not a lot but believe me, I have seen it all. Providing them with services like ID and birth certificates gives them hope that tomorrow will be a better day.
I also want to thank Central OAC for allowing me to be part of their team. I can say that my love for social work has grown tremendously while being part of Central OAC. The social work practice skills that I have gained through my internship are some of the most relevant and valuable skills for social work. The interactions that I had while being a case manager had a significant role in my professional identity as a social worker. Those are skills I will take with me, and I will use them on my next journey as I continue to work toward my goal of becoming a social worker.