91制片厂

Natalie Stackhouse wasn鈥檛 sure what she wanted to study when she first arrived at 91制片厂. She came in undeclared. Then, after volunteering at a women鈥檚 shelter in New Hampshire, and before she even took a single course in the field, she fell in love with social work.

鈥淚 was working on the hotline, doing hospital visits, and I said, 鈥榃hat degree do I get so I can do this work?鈥欌�� Stackhouse says of her experience at (formerly A Safe Place), which provides support services and prevention education to those impacted by domestic and sexual violence. 鈥淚 fell in love with all the pillars; social justice is a big part my life now.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 imagine I would leave college and have all the skills I needed to go out in the world."听

In May Stackhouse graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in . Ten days later, she was at her new job at New Beginnings, a nonprofit sexual and domestic violence support service based in Laconia, New Hampshire. Half of her time is spent doing direct service advocacy 鈥� accompanying survivors to court, talking them through the process, for example, and the other half is spent serving as a housing advocate, building relationships in the community and with landlords to help women get housing.

鈥淭hat is what I went into the social work field knowing I wanted to do, so it鈥檚 really cool that I am doing it right after graduation,鈥� Stackhouse says. Worried that she might have had trouble finding a job, she started looking months before commencement. In February she learned had a position open and contacted them. They emailed her immediately and she interviewed the next day. And landed the job.

The Alton Bay, New Hampshire, resident began training before graduation 鈥� online and in person so she would be as prepared as possible when she started. And she was; in addition to volunteering at Haven, Stackhouse completed an internship with the in Greenland, New Hampshire.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 imagine I would leave college and have all the skills I needed to go out in the world because I鈥檓 a very indecisive person, and when I came here, I wasn鈥檛 a very confident person,鈥� Stackhouse says, 鈥淏ut my internship and the social work professors were really amazing. They gave me everything I needed to go on. Once I was in the right major, I felt like I was at home immediately.鈥�

Of the support she received from the social work department, Stackhouse says, 鈥淚 would tell incoming students not to be afraid to go to office hours with their professors. I didn鈥檛 do that until my third or fourth semester and it completely changed everything. I started to do better in my classes, I had a better relationship with my professors. It made me value my education more.

鈥淪o even if you鈥檙e an introvert, step out of your comfort zone. Don鈥檛 be afraid to push yourself. Go to . Sign up for one or two organizations. Get involved.鈥�

Interested in pursuing a career like Natalie's?听

听