This past Saturday, March 28th, the School of Social Work hosted Illinois Bound: Admitted Student Day from 1:00–4:00 PM, welcoming 17 admitted students and their guests for an afternoon centered on connection, exploration, and turning passion into purpose. The event provided students with an opportunity to explore social work as their college of choice while connecting with future classmates and our School of Social Work community. We kicked off the day with an interactive icebreaker that encouraged students to build connections and share their journeys to social work.
Dr. Dora Watkins delivered an inspiring message focused on turning passion into purpose, highlighting the School of Social Work’s commitment to fostering a supportive, close-knit community that empowers students from their first day through their transition into the profession. Our team then led a program overview, covering the BSW curriculum, advising, student affairs, field education, student life, support services, and career pathways. Students also heard directly from current School of Social Work students during a panel discussion, where they shared their experiences, transitions to college life, and future goals in the field.
We concluded the day with a hands-on, creative activity where students designed their own Illinois/social work swag and created “ILLvision Boards,” reflecting their future goals, passions, the impact they hope to make and what they imagine their Illinois journey and experiences will be. Students took that time to unwind, talk to other future classmates and staff while creating something they could take with them as a reminder to the day and what’s next. They were able to take a tour of the school before leaving for the day and shared how much fun they had with us. It was a meaningful and energizing day, and we’re excited about the future of these students as part of the School of Social Work community!
