Student speaker Sheldon Howard addresses the graduating class at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work 37th Annual Block Education Plan Commencement ExercisesOn July 21st, 2014 Wurzweiler held its thirty seventh Commencement Exercises for the Summer Block Education Plan, in which fifty five students were conferred their MSW degrees. In addition to the Commencement Address by Dr. Joyce Brenner, the retiring Director of the Block Program in Israel, the students were inspired by their selected student speaker Sheldon Howard. Prior to graduation the graduating student body is given the opportunity elect any student to offer an address on their behalf at graduation.
Below is the text of this exceptional address by the graduating student, who was also the recipient of the Elaine Schott Advocacy Award, which is given to a graduating student for promoting community initiative and social change. This address encapsulates the spirit of social work education and the commencement exercises and celebrates the accomplishments of the graduating students and the great and important work ahead of them as social work professionals.
Congratulations to all graduates, and to Sheldon Howard for his wonderful and entertaining words, shared here with his permission.
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"OK鈥. So before I really get into what I want to say鈥
I have some news to share quickly鈥
鈥 this is just in from the folks who produce the DSM ..
It looks like they鈥檝e introduced a new condition鈥
It鈥檚 called鈥
POST-GRADUATE OK so which one is Adam 2 again? SYNDROME鈥
It鈥檚 brought on by prolonged periods of stress鈥
鈥ack of sleep鈥
鈥nd acute exposure to something called SSD for R.
Whatever that is鈥
Symptoms include鈥 a pervasive sense of panic鈥 and you twitch every time you hear either one of these words鈥 integrative or essay鈥
Lastly - you鈥檝e got that feeling you just want to go home already.
Well I don鈥檛 know about you but that鈥檚 how it feels to me鈥
鈥ike we鈥檝e just run a marathon鈥 and a sprint at the same time...
A sprint-athon. Or a mara-thint.
But we are done. Finished. Graduation is termination.
And for me鈥 this is about as good a way to go out as possible.
You've done me a great honour asking me to do this... And I鈥檓 very grateful...
I鈥檓 also very excited.
It鈥檚 hard to believe鈥
I mean it鈥檚 always been a dream of mine鈥
No鈥ot speaking at graduation鈥. Not even being a Social Worker鈥
I鈥檝e now got about five minutes to say pretty much whatever I want to a captive audience鈥egale you with stories about my family鈥 my old neighbourhood鈥 my dog鈥 odd childhood experiences鈥
...basically I have about five minutes to pretend I鈥檓 Professor Sweifach.
Which really wouldn鈥檛 be such a bad thing鈥 to be like Professor Sweifach鈥 or any of our professors鈥 for that matter鈥 who鈥 each one in their way鈥 has engraved the very best of their experience and knowledge 鈥 on each one of our new Social Worker selves鈥
...and always with caring鈥 and commitment鈥 and a profound passion鈥 for us and the work we now set out to do.
On behalf of all those I am proud to call my classmates and colleagues鈥 many many thanks to the Wurzweiler Faculty鈥. Administration鈥 and Cheryl... you are the most miraculous one of all... Thank you...
...and of course thanks to all the friends... family... loved ones... who supported us through all this. That could not have been easy. A very big and special thanks to all of you.
Now I know these few minutes I have to speak are not about me鈥 I mean everyone I told about this鈥 made it very clear鈥 it鈥檚 not about you Shelly鈥 but please indulge me in this little bit of self-disclosure.
Soooo鈥. I鈥檓 not 24. Oh 鈥 you knew that? OK never mind.
The point is鈥 Social Work is not my first profession.
I worked in Journalism for a while...
Telling stories is the focus of Journalism. Doing it dispassionately鈥 a watch dog on governments鈥 the first draft of history鈥 and all that鈥
But where Journalism does its best to document what鈥檚 happening in the world鈥 and hopes to make a difference鈥
Social Workers鈥 are all about making a difference鈥 being the difference鈥
Pursuing either profession will take you into some pretty dark places; into the shadows鈥
...a reporter鈥 armed with the power of the pen鈥 Social Workers with the power of our professional values鈥 our skills鈥 our compassion鈥 our courage鈥
...we go into those dark places because that鈥檚 where there鈥檚 suffering鈥 that鈥檚 where people are sad鈥 oppressed and in pain鈥 that鈥檚 where the vulnerable need a voice鈥 where people who are hurting need a hand鈥 where those most alone鈥 most afraid鈥. most in need鈥 they just want to hear that one person say鈥 what is our job to say鈥 what we commit to say鈥
That - It鈥檚 OK鈥 I鈥檓 here... I鈥檝e got your back鈥.
When no one else does鈥 I do. You do. We do.
That鈥檚 our job. We鈥檙e Social Workers.
And we can never know who we might find in those dark places鈥 we might not understand their pain鈥 or how they ended up feeling so isolated鈥 rejected鈥 lost鈥 but here鈥檚 what we DO know鈥 we know dark from light鈥 we all crave the light鈥 everyone deserves the dignity of knowing鈥 I am seen鈥 I am accepted for who I am鈥 how I was created鈥 like everyone else鈥 B鈥檛zelem elokeem鈥 in god鈥檚 image鈥
And that鈥檚 what we do. We help to bring light to those dark places鈥 help people find their way back to themselves鈥 That鈥檚 OUR job. That鈥檚 what we do. We鈥檙e Social Workers.
Now if you were looking for it鈥 in our graduating group today鈥 there is no doubt you COULD find difference. We are diverse.
We are American. Canadian. Israeli. Religious. Secular. Jewish. Christian. Agnostic.
Some Older.
Almost everyone else much鈥 much鈥 younger.
Some of us are bald.
Some have hair.
Some have purple hair.
But the way I see it鈥ith us鈥 with all people鈥. we are much more the same than we are different. And that sameness is powerful鈥 sticky鈥 it binds us鈥 and gives us something to make contact with鈥 in every one of our clients鈥 no matter who they are鈥 or how they ended up in front of us鈥
Virginia Satir said we connect at the level of sameness鈥 grow at the level of difference鈥 So we Social Workers鈥 we celebrate diversity鈥 we can鈥檛 let it divide us鈥. We acknowledge and learn from the other鈥 and walk together in search of more light.
And these days鈥 there鈥檚 so much darkness鈥 in parts of the world so many of us are so deeply connected to鈥 it is very hard to see any light鈥 to feel any feelings beyond pain鈥 sadness鈥 and frustration鈥 anger鈥 and fear鈥
And I know I鈥檓 new at this鈥 I haven鈥檛 even been a Social Worker for a day yet鈥 so forgive my youthful innocence鈥 (I was never able to shake it anyway)鈥. but whether it鈥檚 through prayer鈥 or meditation鈥 exercise鈥 or shopping鈥 however we do it鈥 we need to take care of ourselves鈥 to keep learning鈥rowing鈥 evolving鈥 so we can still see something better on the horizon鈥
I had a great teacher who introduced me to the work of Paulo Freire who said 鈥 鈥淚f the structure does not permit dialogue - the structure must be changed鈥 --- that鈥檚 where we come in鈥 we advocate for that change鈥 for Social Justice... that's our job. That鈥檚 what we do鈥 We鈥檙e Social Workers.
A few years ago when I was saying kaddish for my Mother - who I miss every day鈥 but especially today 鈥 I got familiar with several passages in the siddur 鈥 the Jewish prayer book 鈥 passages I didn鈥檛 know so well. One line has stayed with me and helped me in a lot of ways but also as a Social Worker鈥 and I will end with this鈥 the line is - U鈥檝e鈥檛uvo mehadesh b鈥檆hol yom ma鈥檃seh braysheet... in his (or her) goodness 鈥 God - however鈥hatever you understand god to be鈥 god renews the act of creation every day. To me that means that鈥 Every day matters鈥 Every day there is hope. Every day things can get better鈥
And guess what?
We get to help do that now鈥
鈥ou know why?
That鈥檚 our job.
We鈥檙e Social Workers.
Congratulations everyone.
Thanks."
