Love Your Neighbor: Senior Social Work Practicums

Each spring semester, senior Social Work majors apply their skills through full-time field work at nearby schools, hospitals, and organizations. Hasi Ehlers '26 and Ethan Cutshaw '26 learned how to better love and serve their neighbors through their senior practicums.

Serving Families

Hasi Ehlers completed her practicum at Josiah White's, a Christian nonprofit organization focused on helping youth and families through foster care, residential treatment, family preservation, and counseling services.

Ehlers served as a case manager, working with children ages 14 to 16 in a maladaptive behavior program, updating treatment plans, making monthly progress reports, and attending meetings to ensure clear communication among the staff. She attended court hearings and met with kids if they had questions or concerns.

Ehlers grew in her skills of empathy and problem-solving, building intentional relationships with the people she served. The ability to work with others was crucial to her success at Josiah White's. The team consisted of therapists, case managers, and direct care providers who work together to serve those in the program. 

Ehlers also loved collaborating with the students she worked with. "They brought me so much joy," she said. "There was never a dull moment!" Her favorite part was the fun and laughter that students brought along the way.

"I loved it and learned and grew so much," Ehlers said. "The experience gave me the opportunity to continue to develop the skills that I already had and develop and apply even more skills. I am thankful that I was able to be a consistent and caring person for the students, as many of them lack consistency in their lives."

Ehlers is excited to continue her time at Josiah White’s, now working full time as a family specialist.

Connecting With Students

Ethan Cutshaw completed his senior practicum at Allen Elementary in Marion, Indiana. He served students in preschool through fourth grade, working with them through struggles with grief, confidence, and self-control. He also worked to de-escalate tense situations through behavior intervention. Cutshaw met with students several times a week, following a curriculum plan he created. He loved connecting with the kids and encouraging them, whether it was through playing basketball with them at recess or sharing smiles and giving fist bumps.

Having worked in autism therapy over the previous three summers, Cutshaw understood the importance of building relationships and exercising patience, love, and grace while spending time with kids. His practicum further expanded his experience to include a school setting.

"Social workers have a readiness and willingness to fill whatever need there is. People call on them because they love people," Cutshaw said. Looking ahead, he hopes to begin building a career in autism therapy. For him, it's a way to live out Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself in Matthew 22:39. 

Senior Social Work practicums provide students with practical experience and skill development as they prepare to graduate. Students explore career paths within the discipline and have a front row seat to where the Lord is working and where they may join in His work.