Meet Our Alums – Osinachi Ibilah – “Social Work Fits into Any Sphere of Life”
Published January 31, 2022
UTEP College of Health Sciences
What sparked your interest in a social work career?
I have always been interested in working with people and assisting or advocating for those whose voices need to be heard. I received my bachelor’s degree in law from The University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. When we were about to move to the United States, I began exploring what I could do. I found that social work suited my interests in social justice, human rights, and advocacy. It was still somewhat integrated into the law (even though the legal system in Nigeria is different from that of the United States). I can say that social work is in my blood, but I didn’t quite understand it or know that there was a profession for it until I explored a career in social work. Social Work is diverse, and it could fit into any sphere of life, and I like this about the profession.
Why did you decide to pursue your education at UTEP? What do you believe are the unique strengths of the UTEP Social Work Department that set it apart from others nationally?
I didn’t know there was a social work program at UTEP until I arrived in El Paso. I was excited that UTEP had the program I was interested in pursuing. I received so much support and encouragement from the faculty and staff. Dr. Moya and Dr. Lusk were great mentors. There are opportunities for students in the program to work as graduate or research or teaching assistants. There are funding opportunities for the students, which helps reduce the financial burden and minimizes student loans. The faculty are interested in student success, and the internship opportunities are plentiful.
Tell us about the most interesting experience you had as a Social Work student.
As a member of the Student Association of Social Work, I enjoyed some of the community activities we were engaged in. The one that stands out was the weekend the College of Health Sciences had a career fair for high school students. I got to tell those who came by our table about the social work profession and the benefits of joining UTEP’s undergraduate social work program. I am sometimes shy, but I was all excited about sharing what the social work profession was about with these young ones. I believe that something I said that day stuck with one of the high school students and encouraged them to consider a career in social work.
Tell us about your current work. What are some of the skills you learned as a Social Work student that you use on a daily basis?
I work as a research assistant with the HPV Mitigation and Cancer Prevention in Hispanics Project under the UTEP BBRC. Networking skills are something I learned as a student that I am using in my current position. I am doing research, but not many students liked the research class we took. They questioned the use of it in the social work profession. Still, the experience teaches one to use the knowledge and insights gained from interactions with clients/patients, organizations, and administrators to see how to improve services and identify what techniques work best. Working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, I can apply my knowledge of service coordination for clients/patients, staffing, and planning to make the team and project move ahead. I can see the strengths that the other members of the team and I bring. Research is a combination of micro and macro practice, depending on the scale and type being conducted.
What is the most important piece of advice that you would give yourself as an entering freshman if you could go back in time?
Don’t be shy to take the lead, and be ready to step up if opportunities arise.
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Go Miners!
For more information about a career in social work, please visit: http://www.utep.edu/chs/sw.
