Practicum Spotlight: Julieta Zamora

Julieta Zamora attributes her ability to pursue a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare to her upbringing. While she hasn’t pinpointed exactly what kind of position she wants to hold in the future, she knows she wants to give back to her community. 

Julieta, now in her second semester of the MSW program, is a proud Mexican woman from Wyandotte County, Kansas with a family that enabled her to become a first-generation college student. 

The Practicum Education curriculum allows Julieta to get field experience, working with her community at the Family Conservancy Dame La Mano Program.

“I am supporting families through different case management needs, filling out applications, supporting them through finding resources around the community,” Julieta said. “It seems like it's very simple, but it's actually not.”

What Julieta likes about the Dame La Mano Program is that she can help families that may not have had the same opportunities she did. 

Julieta got her bachelor’s degree in childhood education and enjoys working with children, but a social work degree offers her more flexibility with her career path, she said. Helping families is just one example. 

“I know that I want to stay within my community. That's something that I'm very sure about. That's the reason why I came to social work altogether,” Julieta said. “I noticed how much of a difference a strong influence or strong support system can make in a person's life.”

Julieta said she encourages others to seek an MSW with the School of Social Welfare if the opportunity presents itself. Her practicum allows her to do exactly what she wants to be doing, and that other students could have that opportunity, too. 

“Working with the Latino population, to me, is extremely important,” Julieta said. “I think that there is a lot of opportunity to support those families and the families in my neighborhood.”