Student Profiles

Tony Lehr

Year in School: Junior
Hometown:  Minnetonka, MN

When and why did you decide to become a social work major?

I decided to become a social work major just this last year (my sophmore year) during the fall semester.  I was happy with my current major, but I just felt like it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  I felt a serious need to work with people and to be an advocate for social problems.  I talked to a social worker from my high school about this; he told me to check out the Social Work department when I got back.  I did, I ended up switching my major and I haven't looked back yet.  I just thought it made sense to work in a field where I got to help people all the time. 

What areas of social work do you see yourself getting a job in after you graduate?

I hope to one day be involved in School Social Work, most likely middle school or high school ages.

Is it an advantage to be able to be a licensed social worker after graduating from CSB/SJU and also having to only go to school for one year after graduating with a social work degree to obtain your master's degree?

Of course this is an advantage, anytime you can get equal understanding and skill in a shorter amount of time is great; it offers the chance to be able to get in the field to experience more opportunities to 'learn by doing' that much faster.

What do you think are the most important qualities a person must have to be a good social worker?

You absolutely have to go into this field wanting to improve people's lives.  A desire to reach social justice is huge.  If you have the ability to really feel for a person and their situation I think you have much more potential to take the serious initiative with people's lives.  Even the simple ability to give a person a chance and really listen to what they have to say can shake their life because in most situations they have been looked over and disregarded.

What has been your best out of class activity related to social work?

My best activity has been being a Young Life leader in St. Cloud for the last couple years.  it gives me a chance to really connect with groups of high school students in the area.  The organization gives these kids a fun, positive, safe place for them to connect with some really cool people that make it obvious to the kids that they truly are there for the students' benefit.  It's a great time to see kids grow and develop through their high school careers.