Anita Koch 
Anita Koch |
Anita Koch was working in the medical field when she decided to return to school. Her objective was straight forward – she wanted to help people.
Koch had worked for a physician who specialized in cancer cases. She had spent a lot of time talking with patients one-on-one about their treatment and how they were doing.
She started off taking medical classes, thinking she might focus on an area like radiology. But soon she realized it wasn’t as “hands on” in terms of helping people as she was looking for.
“I realized social work was more what I wanted to do,” Koch said. She switched to the BSW program.
She was a little worried at the idea of going to college. Koch noted she was the mother of two children and nearing 40 when she started the program. But what she found erased any fears she had.
As soon as she got into the social work program, Koch said she found people from all walks of life. “Everyone was very welcoming and giving and non-judgmental of why you were there,” Koch said.
Plus, she found more than just a place to learn, Koch added. “I feel like our class is family,” she said. “It’s really a good place. It’s very comfortable.”
Koch also has found the program’s practice of placing students with different social service agencies “a huge bonus.”
For one of her practicums, or internships, she landed at the Family Services of Central Indiana. Koch had assumed she would rather work on juvenile-related issues, like delinquency, more than working with families and children.
She discovered she was wrong. “It changed my whole view and I have more interest in families and children,” Koch said of her experiences.
At Family Services, she worked on domestic violence cases and had her own clients with whom she helped provide services.
Her experiences with the BSW program have made her realize there are so many options, opportunities and directions for social workers to choose from.
“You can be picky and do what you want,” Koch said.
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