Service Array:
Individual Skill Development and Enhancement
I grew up in East Troy, Wisconsin, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. I graduated from Winona State University in 2015 with my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and returned to Wisconsin in 2018 to complete my Master’s in Social Work at UW-Whitewater.
At the age of 17, I went through the experience of becoming a father and ultimately navigating the difficult decision to put the child up for adoption. I was told I was an outlier in cases of teenage pregnancies by staying involved in the decision and pregnancy as the father. I found one of the most supportive figures in navigating these difficult decisions was a social worker that worked with us in the adoption process. This stuck with me in my career path to ultimately become a social worker myself.
Professionally I’ve worked in a variety of human services settings including career counseling for individuals with disabilities, residential care/group homes, statewide workforce development grants bolstering the mental health workforce, and professional development around clinical skills and supervision. We often approach our mental health differently from what we would do for our body physically or medically. I personally believe in holistic approaches to mental-well-being that a person’s mental and physical well-being are interconnected. Taking care of basic needs, health, exercising both sides of your brain (creative and logical), engaging with your community, and physically taking care of your body can support overall well-being.
In my personal life, I enjoy hobbies of hiking, biking/mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, live music, disc golf, and playing guitar. When supporting others, I hope to explore what passions someone has that they want to integrate into their own personal well-being. I hope to work actively alongside individuals in doing those things that build someone up to their fullest potential. And challenge difficult life circumstances that we’ve all faced.