BSW Student Spotlight: Sean Kirk

For much of his life, Sean Kirk didn’t have aspirations. He spent the better part of 20 years struggling with substance abuse and addiction, with trips in and out of jail and struggling to navigate the criminal justice system. 

To be a speaker at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare’s graduation ceremony in front of his Bachelor of Social Work cohort was a special moment. After graduation, Kirk immediately entered the Master of Social Work Advanced Standing program at KU – an accomplishment he didn’t know he wanted. 

“The most I hoped to do was be an auto mechanic someday,” Kirk said. “Coming out of that to now finding myself in a place where I'm about to actually meet those goals is very surreal.”

Kirk worked hard to get himself out of the spot he was in for so long. But it was through this struggle that Kirk also saw where he could make a difference as a social worker. 

Integrating personal experience was helpful for Kirk in his education and his work. His recent practicum was at his job with Mirror Residential Inpatient Rehab, where he interned as a counselor and recently accepted a counseling position. 

Part of Kirk’s pursuit of higher education was learning how many goals he now has. He wants to work in mental health, in criminal justice and with the homeless population. 

“I'm also in grant writing, and I'm bringing some of those experiences to write a grant for harm reduction for the Johnson County area, because there's not a lot of that here,” Kirk said.

Kirk’s aspirations are clearly in reach, and he doesn’t take that for granted. This wasn’t just a surreal process for him, but also for his friends and family who were with him through his struggles. 

Kirk plans to be the resource he didn’t have.

Video edited by Naomi Sui Pang.