Finding the Right Major for Me
May 1, 2019 | 1:00 PM
Braden Eaton '22, Social Work Major
When I first came to Mac I was planning on majoring in ASL interpreting, but then I found social work and fell in love with it. I want to work with deaf children that are in the foster home system and help them find the right family! I’ve found that knowing sign language and being able to talk to the child one-on-one helps them feel more important because I am building that trust myself without an interpreter to interpret the conversation.
The way that I found my major was talking to the professors – specifically the Director of Admissions Kristen Chenoweth (I recommend taking her Mac 108 class because she does an amazing job!), talking to my mother and following my heart. I am very passionate for the interpreting field and being able to bring the language barrier to a minimum, but I also want to be there for the children that need help finding their permanent family. Every child deserves to have a family that is best for them as well as for the parents that adopt them. I love working with children and being able to make them happy brings me joy, and I look forward to seeing the happiness shine off of a child’s face when they get to meet their new family.
On the other hand, if you are finding your school work or everyday life to be extremely stressful, then head to Mac Hall and take time for yourself in the self-care room located on the second floor. It’s truly awesome! All students are welcome to take time in the self-care room to relax and just breathe. The social work club also does other things like a spiritual retreat. Recently, I went on the social work’s spiritual retreat that lasted a whole day. Afterwards, I felt great and free from the chains that were wrapped around me. I lost the tension from things that were building inside, and Dr. Joe Squillace does an amazing job helping and building up all of the students so that they feel confident and like they that can do anything in life!
Everyone in the social work program cares about each other and everyone feels like family here at MacMurray. I’ve made new friends that I consider family within my peers, my major and my professors. I am happy to be at Mac! Here, I’m not a number or a check to the school, but an individual that will succeed in life from the help and the push that my professors give me. Without their help and support, I would still be stuck in a hole trying to not only find myself, but also figure out what I want to do in life.
