Giving Thanks: Scholarship Helps Master’s Student Become a Latinx Community-Focused Social Worker
This December, members of our Fulbright College Family are sharing expressions of gratitude, letters of thanks and their appreciation for those who have helped make their educational journey possible.
Meet Patricia Rodriguez, who thanks to the Blue and You Foundation Primary Care Endowed Graduate Internship, is one step closer to her dream of becoming a Licensed Certified Social Worker to serve Northwest Arkansas’ growing Latinx community.
Blue and You Foundation Primary Care Endowed Graduate Internship Recipient Patricia Rodriguez
Name: Patricia Rodriguez
Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Anticipated Graduation: 2023
Major(s)/Minor(s): Master of Social Work
Activities/Interests: In my spare time I first and foremost love to spend time with my family and friends while feeding them. I enjoy volunteering at community events, running, art, roller skating, learning to breakdance and the hustle, cosplay as Selena Quintanilla, and learning. These activities are my self-care which allow me to bring my full self and energy into social work when working with clients.
Career Aspirations: After earning my M.S.W. I will work towards becoming a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) so that I can be one of the few bilingual and bicultural behavioral health care practitioners in Northwest Arkansas to serve our growing Latinx community. With time, I hope to use my knowledge, skills and lived experiences to inspire and mentor others who hope to enter the field.
In her own words:
Dear Mr. Patrick O’Sullivan,
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you for creating the opportunity for the Blue and You Foundation Primary Care Endowed Graduate Internship.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was not only a strong candidate to receive this opportunity, but I was selected for this internship. I am appreciative of your support and advocacy for behavioral health.
I am a graduate student working towards my M.S.W at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where I also earned my undergraduate degree in social work.
Since 2013 I have worked in advocacy and service roles in community-oriented nonprofits, including The Bail Project, Hark at the Center for Collaborative Care, Feed Communities, and OneCommunity, in addition to my volunteer work with The NWACC Foundation, Project Play, Proyecto Mariposa by Colores United, and RootED NWA.
In my spare time I enjoy running, learning to breakdance, cosplaying as Selena Quintanilla, museums, spending time with loved ones and feeding them.
After earning my graduate degree, I plan to use my lived and learned experiences to inform my work as a bilingual and bicultural behavioral health practitioner who will hopefully one day mentor others who wish to enter the field as well.
Being selected as a recipient for the Blue and You Foundation Primary Care Endowed Graduate Internship has provided multiple aspects of peace of mind. It made the decision to temporarily leave the workforce to pursue a graduate degree feel like the right one.
In the work I have done before and since my undergraduate degree, I have seen, firsthand, the growing need for behavioral health practitioners in Northwest Arkansas and beyond.
Again, being selected has validated that the work I am passionate about is valued. Internships in social work are typically not compensated so the opportunity to learn, serve and to be awarded an endowed internship provides much needed financial peace of mind during a time when being a student and intern has to be my full-time job.
Thank you again to you and the board for your generosity, support and advocacy for increasing access to behavioral health across the state.
I am committed to being an enthusiastic learner and being a good steward of your generosity and support. I hope to one day have the opportunity to be collaborators in the pursuit of access to care as a thank you.
Thank you,
Patricia C. Rodriguez