Lauri Goheen is getting her MSW to find real solutions

Why social work? That’s a question Lauri Goheen has heard many times. A verbal answer might be that social workers find real solutions to real problems.

Goheen, an MSW student in the KU partnership program at K-State Salina, is always happy to answer with that. But she has also made sure her answer can be seen, not just heard.

That’s why every detail matters in the art piece Goheen made to commemorate her journey to becoming a social worker. Making a visual representation was about more than just answering the question. It’s a memento.

“Because this is my last semester, and I’ll be done, I wanted to make something that I could take with me. Because you can have paper and you can put it on your wall, but the words get jumbled,” Goheen said. “So having something big and large that I can look at. I think that was my inspiration.”

A small book with the K-State logo and the Jayhawk represents how a house divided can come together for social work. A silhouette hangs from the book as another silhouette shouts to ”let go” — a reminder that Goheen’s time with the program won’t last forever.

Goheen knows that, but her MSW was a long time coming. Her path to achieving a goal she set in high school was unusual.

Goheen knew she wanted to be a social worker in junior high after reading “Are You Out There, God?” by Mary Rose McGeady. The book details a Catholic nun who helps runaway and homeless teenagers in New York. In high school, Goheen worked at a homeless shelter for single women.

“I think it was just humbling for me,” said Goheen, a mother of three and grandmother to one. “And I’ve seen inspiration in them and their stories and their achievements, and all their goals that they’re able to accomplish. And even the ones that they were not be able to just learn from the mistakes and be able to go on.”

K-State didn’t have a social work program when Goheen first reached college, but she had to put her academics on hold to take care of her children.

Goheen, who grew up in Salina and now lives in Minneapolis, chased her dream once again 20 years later when she went back to school for a degree in social work. She was 36 when she went back to school and knew if she didn’t go back then she never would.

The K-State Salina program offered Goheen the chance to become the social worker she dreamed of being without making significant sacrifices away from her family.

The scholarships and grants made it affordable. Her advisors and mentors led her down the path. Her practicum with Salina Family Healthcare Center introduced her to people who inspired her.

Goheen remembers every step as she nears her MSW. That’s why her art piece is so detailed. One of the more noticeable items on her canvas is a broken frame with a large list of words that resemble hate and discrimination. Patching up the broken glass is a Band-Aid.

On top of the Band-Aid? The words “real solutions.”

“Because that’s what social workers do,” Goheen said. “We don’t put band-aids on things, we find real solutions.”

What made you decide to get your MSW?

Goheen: “When I was doing my bachelor’s, I ended up actually volunteering over at the Bennington school. And the school social worker there was a good friend of mine. So I ended up volunteering over there for our school year.”

“I just wanted to be a social worker. And she really inspired me to get a master’s so that I could go on. Because counseling and therapy is my real passion.”

What advice do you have for students thinking about getting an MSW?

Goheen: “Do it. That’s it, do it but make sure that you’re going into it for the right reasons. And make sure that you are doing it for yourself. You’re not going to get a lot of money out of it. Be inspirational, empower others, empower yourself. Definitely go into it for the right reasons and feel good about it and be proud of yourself.”