Q. When did you begin working at ENMU?

Prior to becoming a full time faculty member in August 2005, I was an adjunct faculty member for three years teaching sociology courses.

Q. What are the main duties of your job?

In addition to teaching social work classes, my job involves recruiting social service agencies for student field placements and placing students with those agencies. Historically, our placements have been in eastern New Mexico and west Texas, but the BSW Program has branched out across New Mexico and beyond the state. Once students begin their field placements, my job is to work with the field agencies to make sure students are having positive learning experiences.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about your job, and what have been the biggest challenges?

Working in an effective BSW program with supportive faculty, staff, and administrators has been one of the joys of my career on campus. Together we were able to achieve initial accreditation and then reaccreditation of the BSW Program and also successfully grow the BSW program. One of my biggest challenges has been evolving with the distance ed technologies. But it has been all worth it because now students can attend class on campus or live through their computers making the program accessible from any location. I especially like that it allows people from rural areas to obtain social work degrees and this helps us fulfill the need for trained social workers in rural communities. Nevertheless, it has been a pleasure to be a part of these endeavors.

Watching students develop professionally from their first social work class to graduation has been such a satisfying experience. BSW students are wonderful students to get to know. They are caring and dedicated and also very resilient, balancing their school, work, and family responsibilities. They are from very diverse backgrounds and the student body is made up of both traditional and nontraditional students, each providing unique contributions to the classroom. Lately, we have had a growing number of students from military families and they further enhance the diversity of the program.

Another joy of my job has been collaborating with community social workers to provide a successful field education program. Community agencies volunteer to become field sites for our students and their staff become the students’ field educators. Frequently, students will remark that field has been the best part of their education because they enjoy having real world practice experiences and applying what they learn in the classroom. Community field instructors are very dedicated to our students and they contribute valuable practice wisdom to our program.

I have enjoyed the welcoming campus environment and the university’s approach to fostering student success. Although it is time to retire, I will miss working with my colleagues and with the BSW Program students.

Q. What were you doing before you came to ENMU, and what other jobs have you held?

Before I began a teaching career at ENMU, I retired from a 25-year career with the New Mexico Children, Youth, & Families Department in child protective services. I worked mainly in the area of adoption and foster care services, but I did experience many of the aspects of child protective services including administration.

For a 17 year old, I had an exciting start in the work world with my first job as a clerk at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street. But the jobs where I had the most fun were located at Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden during my college years. My volunteer work experiences have mainly been in health care. For several years I served on the board for La Casa Health Services in Portales and I provided individual and group support for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis through the non-profit, People Living Through Cancer.

Q. What are your degrees and majors, and what activities did you participate in college?

In 1972 I obtained a BA Degree in Sociology from Fordham University in New York and in 1998 I received a MSW Degree from NM Highlands University, with a concentration in Children & Families.

Q. What are some of your plans for retirement?

I have not made definite retirement plans, but I am looking forward to having time to explore new and old interests. Friends, family, art, nature, teaching/learning, travel, and volunteering will all be a part of that. I will remain in Portales for a few years and then relocate to Albuquerque.