Steubenville native Emma Borden ’23 knew two things: She was going to attend Franciscan University, and she was going to work with children. That plan seemed to point toward an education degree. Then, she discovered social work.
By her senior year at Franciscan, she was in the classroom—but not behind a teacher’s desk. She spent her spring semester working in the Steubenville City Schools alongside counselors, assisting elementary through high school students with mental health and other needs.
Emma Borden ’23 at her Steubenville High School field placement.
“It’s been amazing to see how students act in a school environment and then learn what they might be missing at home or otherwise that influences their behavior,” she says. “It motivates me to want to make a change in these kids’ lives.”
Borden wasn’t the only one getting hands-on experience before graduation. All seniors in the Social Work Program spend 440 hours at field placements in schools, medical or mental health facilities, and other organizations across the local area. There, they learn how to put their faith into action through social work.
A Catholic Approach
Social workers work with everyone from children to adults and everywhere from foster care to hospitals. No matter who and where they serve, however, their goal is to help their clients address and overcome challenges. It’s a mission that embodies Catholic values and a field that needs faithful disciples.
Father Luke Robertson, TOR, social work professor and field coordinator, notes St. Francis himself went out into the world to care for lepers, outcasts, and the poor.
“It’s evangelistic work,” he says. “How our students conduct themselves, build relationships, and genuinely care for their clients speaks to their faith.”
At Franciscan, students receive a holistic approach to social work, illuminating the biological, sociological, psychological, and spiritual aspects that influence behavior. That means they learn about case management and social policy while also studying Catholic teachings.
“I was hesitant to study social work at first because the field is so often seen as very liberal and against Catholic values,” says Ariana Fryer ’23. “What surprised me most is just how the Catholic faith aligns with social work. At the core of social work’s values and ethics is the dignity and worth of the human person.”
Fryer saw that firsthand during her field placement at Family Recovery Center in Steubenville. While observing counseling sessions with clients experiencing substance problems, she noticed the importance of virtues such as hope and how social workers must “show hope to our clients and tell them that, just because they fall down, doesn’t mean they have to give up.”
Emma Ostermann ’23 also found her faith and studies aligned while at a women’s shelter in Steubenville and Brooke Place for teenage girls in Weirton, West Virginia.
“Both of my field placements haven’t been Catholic in name, but I’m still able to incorporate my faith by recognizing the dignity of the person in front of me,” Ostermann says. “We see that in the Gospels, too, where Jesus goes out to the poor and accompanies them where they are.”
Professional Preparation
Through field work in the tri-state area, senior social work majors dedicate their time and talent within the local community. They also gain insight into the many careers they could pursue after graduation.
Father Robertson helps the students get their two field placements, one per semester. He says the goal is usually to have the students spend one placement in a field of their interest but the other in a completely different area.
“I want them to be challenged, to learn how to work with different populations, and to be free to make mistakes within a supportive environment,” Father Robertson says. “It’s the first opportunity students have to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real people with real needs.”
Ostermann says she’s grateful her field placements weren’t what she might have chosen for herself. Now, she’s planning to continue working at Brooke Place while also earning her master of social work degree online.
“You can read about something in books or hear about it in the classroom, but it’s really different being in the field and seeing where my strengths lie,” she says. “I found I love the foster care environment and being able to be a positive witness and role model to the girls.”
For Borden, her time in the Steubenville schools confirmed her calling to work with children. The most rewarding part was seeing how a counselor being there “to listen and to give the best advice she can makes the student’s day.”
However, even the most accomplished social workers can encounter difficult situations. Learning how to navigate that is another invaluable lesson.
“In my placements, I’ve seen you’re going to have good days, and you’re going to have bad days,” Fryer says. “It has helped me grow in confidence to know I don’t have to be perfect, but what matters is I always care about the best interests of my client.”
“We know we have not only our classmates and professors to fall back on but also the Franciscan community and the sacraments. There are many times where I’ve gone to the chapel after a day at my field placement and placed my clients at the foot of the cross,” Ostermann says. “I’ve learned to surrender and trust the Lord has a plan for these clients and for myself in the work I’m doing.”
Armed with both classroom knowledge and field experience, the social work graduates are well-prepared to make a difference in people’s lives—wherever God calls them to serve.
“Social work has opened my eyes to new understandings of the world and how you can incorporate your faith into such a needed field,” Borden says. “God calls each of us to our unique gifts and talents, and he blesses us when we use those to help serve others.”
