Next week at this time there will be caps, gowns, smiles, tears, laughs, and pictures had. There will be handshakes, hugs, introductions, and good-byes. The question that still lingers for me is now what? What will we do? What will we become?

We will become what we have become.

The answer came quickly to me, and instead of being satisfied I was confused. I had the answer with minimal processing. I have to remind myself that this is a good thing. I believe that three years of graduate school changed me for the better in all areas, especially self-awareness, empathy, assessment, and practice. I have ideas about what kind of social worker that might mold me one day. This change is in all of us, no matter what different letters we have next to our names. We will be the change in our professional lives. Our personal and professional change may be what leads us to that supervisor or clinical director position. It may lead us to be an administrator one day.

It’s you. It’s me. We must be that change. We have to start it. If we haven’t started it yet, today’s a beautiful day to begin.