Ahdya Attea (they/them) is a MSSW online student with an Organizational Leadership (OL) concentration. They’re a member of the UCW-CWA but believe their main extracurricular is self-care.

What made you choose UT College of Social Work?

Given a complicated past of the social services and mental health counseling profession, I found UT CSW’s vocal commitment to anti-racism as a compelling and important step towards restorative justice in the field of social services and mental health. Frankly, I find it incredibly punk rock to see a public institution, its college, and its staff and faculty be a force for anti-racist and anti-oppression efforts amid Tennessee legislature cracking down on this.

What has been your favorite part of your college experience so far?

I changed my mind. No, literally, I changed my mind and CSW staff have been incredible to work with. About midway into the program I decided to switch to the OL concentration after previously wanting to be a LCSW, as well as switching to the online program after three semesters in-person. The care, flexibility, and respect to my academic choices have been profound compared to other colleges.

What are you interested in doing once you graduate?

I envision a world where art is recognized as a legitimate form of participating in civics. I also envision a world where young people are given space into formal and informal parts of the democratic process. To combine these visions, I will work toward developing a creative writing/expressive arts center for youth and young adults that leverages art as a form of advocacy.

If you are currently doing field work, where are you working and how has that experience been?

Previous field experiences have included developing and providing opioid use disorder education and advocacy programming for rural youth, and assisting a steering committee to promote fair public utility policies in Knoxville. Currently, I work with UTK’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships to push initiatives that expand the reach of the office and provide wrap-around services to historically underrepresented students on campus.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I recognize that what I’ve learned in my social work courses and field experience so far has changed the trajectory of how I think about and act about politics and ethics. The impact of the ethos of social work will forever reframe how I regard people and civil responsibilities. Even if I don’t end up as a social work-social worker (whatever that means), I will always integrate the core tenets of this field into everything I do.