Graduate student Veronica Marmaud, winner of the 1995 Fletcher
Green essay contest sponsored by The Graduate and Professional
Student Federation, shares how her graduate work benefits North
Carolina's people and economy. Formerly a full-time social worker
for Wake County Mental Health, Marmaud is a third-year student
in the part-time Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at UNC-CH.
As a graduate student and a former government worker, I have a unique opportunity to view the human services system from two different perspectives. The preventive services we provide help disadvantaged people become more self-sufficient, reducing the high cost of welfare and other government programs.
My clientele are people who are not always seen by society as contributing members or assets, but as costs. I have worked with immigrants, people on public assistance, and those with physical or emotional disabilities. They come from all segments of the populace-rich and poor, young and elderly. All require assistance in meeting their needs and achieving their goals. My career as a social worker has focused on helping them gain independence and self-sufficiency. At times this work is difficult in light of crises, budget cuts, and poor working conditions.
As a graduate of the MSW program working in the mental health field, I will interact with people with problems such as chronic mental illness, abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Most of my clients will be members of minority groups, will have low incomes, and will be struggling just to survive day to day. Some of the people I help might otherwise live out their lives on public assistance, at great cost to the taxpayer. Only after their basic needs are met can they begin to plan for better housing, education, and job opportunities. I will help these individuals gain vocational and educational skills so that they live on their own, saving many thousands of dollars in hospital and institutional costs. Moreover, as part of North Carolina's work force, my clients will also become taxpayers and consumers of goods. Many of them will strive to attend college or become homeowners. All of these roles will strengthen the economy of the state.
I have a special interest in early intervention, a program for at-risk babies aged birth to three. This mandated service assists the most helpless and needy citizens to overcome the obstacles presented by low birth weight, medical problems, and parental drug and alcohol addiction. The infant mortality rate in North Carolina is high, but good prenatal care, coupled with early intervention services, can help more babies to thrive. Parent training, especially for teenage parents, helps them give their children the best possible start in life. Early intervention can save many tax dollars in medical costs by providing early, proactive services to babies. Early therapies can help these children avoid academic, medical, and behavioral problems later in life. The benefits of these programs are not easy to measure, as we cannot always predict the costs involved had intervention not been provided. However, these children may grow up to be the leaders, workers, voters, and consumers of North Carolina, and they deserve to have every chance to be successful.
My field of study is not as well respected by society as other professions, such as business or medicine. Social work students often have to defend their choice of vocation to others, even family and friends. After completing my master's degree, I will be entering a generally low-paying and undervalued field that is being targeted for cutbacks by our government.
My graduate work adds value to North Carolina by means of investing in its people, rather than by directly impacting finances or producing goods. Upon my graduation in May 1996, I plan to use the knowledge I have gained to continue to serve the citizens of North Carolina. As an MSW, I will attempt to provide the best services I can to help my clients overcome their problems and lead healthy and fulfilling lives. I cannot think of a better way to add value to the economy of North Carolina.
Last modified: 5/20/96