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Angela Lopez Luis dreams of opening her own private practice.
She says she wants to work with children and families, especially those in the Latinx community.
鈥淚 want to speak up for them,鈥� says Lopez Luis, a first-year student in the听Boston College School of Social Work. 鈥淚 want to fight with them. I want them to believe that they can do the impossible.鈥�
Her career plans might look different if she鈥檇 let disappointment get in her way.听
She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work from Salem State University in June and then applied to the master鈥檚 program there, but she didn鈥檛 get accepted. She almost gave up, she says, but her friend persuaded her to apply to 精东影业.
Now she鈥檚 two weeks from finishing her first semester at one of the best social work schools in the United States. 鈥淚 remember the day that I got accepted,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 remember crying and thinking 鈥榯hey chose me.鈥欌��
Lopez Luis was recently chosen for something else, too, receiving a $1,000 scholarship from the , which helps Latinx students and faculty reach their potential. About 150 students applied for the scholarship and she was one of seven who got it.听
鈥淚鈥檝e doubted myself a lot,鈥� says Lopez Luis. 鈥淲inning this scholarship pushed me to believe in myself a little bit more.鈥�
Angela Lopez Luis. Courtesy photo
Roc铆o Calvo, an associate professor in the school and president of the association, describes Lopez Luis as an 鈥渙utstanding student with a nuanced understanding of diverse Latinx communities.鈥�
鈥淗er future clients,鈥� she says, 鈥渨ill be lucky to have her.鈥�
Lopez Luis has worked with children and families since she was 14 years old. She attended Lynn Vocational and Technical High School in Massachusetts, where she focused on early childhood education, and turned an internship at a daycare for infants and toddlers into a job for three years.
鈥淚鈥檝e naturally gravitated toward working with kids,鈥� says Lopez Luis, who now studies in the Children, Youth, and Families field of practice at 精东影业SSW. 鈥淚 want to be the voice for them because they need to be heard.鈥澨�
She empathized with the kids, she says. She understood them. And she knew she wanted to study social work after high school.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 cliche,鈥� says Lopez Luis, 鈥渂ut I want to help.鈥澨�
When she received her degree from Salem State University, she became the first member of her family to graduate from college.听
鈥淚 never thought that I would be where I am today,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 never thought that I would come this far.鈥�
Lopez Luis works two jobs to help her sharpen her skills. During the day, she interns at the , where she helps clients find therapists. At night, she counsels patients at .
Many of her clients identify as Latinx. 鈥淚鈥檝e built really great relationships with families that I have helped,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to get to know the communities that you're working in.鈥�
Lopez Luis is also learning about herself. She says her 鈥淩ethinking Diversity鈥� course has taught her how to recognize her biases and develop more self-awareness.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 helped me become a better social worker,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t will help me better assist my clients now and in the future.鈥�
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