Graduating BSW Spotlight: Thanya Carlos-Calderon
Thanya Carlos-Calderon will graduate in spring of 2025 with her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, but her interest in supporting people began when she was in high school.
“I was kind of touched by my high school social worker, Mrs. Chowning,” Carlos, who grew up in Bonner Springs, Kansas, said. “She was really amazing, and I think she's the one who drew my attention toward the field.”
Get to know more about Carlos-Calderon as she nears graduation.
Where is your head at as you approach graduation?
Carlos-Calderon: “Honestly, I’m nervous. I am a first-generation student, so navigating college in general has been nerve-wracking, and then graduation as well. I have applied to the Master of Social Work program, and I got accepted. So that was kind of relieving, because it gives me maybe one more year to figure out what I really want to do. I think with social work, there are so many options that it's kind of hard to decide exactly you know where we'll end up after graduation.”
Is there a School of Social Welfare memory that really sticks with you?
Carlos-Calderon: “I don't know if there's one specific memory, but I will say my entire experience in the program has been really great. I think our program, the students and the staff, are very close-knit, so it's been nice watching each other grow and learning from each other, learning from the professors, and it's been the same people since I joined. I was a transfer student as well, so I was late into the game, but everyone was very kind and welcoming. So, it's been a really good experience.”
What about the relationship with the high school social worker made you want to get into social work yourself?
Carlos-Calderon: “She was such a great support system for me. In high school, I didn't really know how to use my resources. She was the one who helped me navigate that and look at my options for college, even though she was the social worker and not the school counselor. If I had any problems going on, she always welcomed me with an open door and let me sit in her office and debrief with her, whatever it was.”
What stood out to you about the social work program at KU?
Carlos-Calderon: “How supportive they are of everyone. I think all the staff members go above and beyond. For the students, I think they take our concerns and our feedback very seriously, which is amazing. Almost anytime that we have a question, they're quick to address it, or if we have a concern, they're quick to figure out a solution.”
Do you have a field you would like to be in after your education?
Carlos-Calderon: “I want to hopefully do clinical work, so that'll be more of the therapy route. I think I want to work with children, but I'm not completely set on that. I also think I want to do more trauma-informed care. My practicum this year was at MOCSA. It's the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault, and I've learned a lot about helping survivors of sexual violence recover from their experiences, and helping them heal and navigate the systems like law enforcement and hospitals, and things like that. I think helping people who have experienced trauma would probably be the route that I want to take.”
What advice do you have for other BSW students?
Carlos-Calderon: “I think for anyone incoming, try to connect with professors more. Things that we can learn from them in class are great, but learning from them one-on-one and getting advice from them, or hearing what they've done with their careers, is really great. They’ve lived this, so just connecting with professors more, and then with the students too.”