Carri Massau-Ables

• On the Social Work Advisory Board at Fresenius Kidney Care, 2019–present
• Editor of the Navigator Newsletter (through Fresenius), 2019–present
• 17 time marathon finisher and Road Runners Club of America certified running coach
• Blog: coachcarria.wordpress.com  

I started my Social Work journey with none other than the legendary LouJeanne Walton. It was 1996, the spring of my freshman year.  I was a psychology major and decided to take Intro to Social Work 151. Registration for the fall was frustrating as most of my psychology classes were filled. While in the 151 class,  I became quite verbal about this, and LouJeanne called me into her office after class. Instead of reprimanding me for my rant,  she smoked her cigarette and instructed me to change my major to Social Work, because she saw it in me. I changed my major that afternoon and never looked back.

Almost three decades later,  my social work career has led me through nursing homes, hospitals, home health, hospice, and for the past thirteen years, dialysis. My role is to not only help the patients, but I also supervise social workers who need hours to obtain their clinical licensure. This allows me to have direct contact with patients and form relationships with them as well as use my knowledge and experience to benefit those newer to the profession.

Valpo’s Social Work program prepared me in many ways. I appreciated the hours we had to work in our profession versus sitting in a classroom. The hands-on approach definitely primed me to enter the workforce with less trepidation. The program also helped me learn how to stay organized and accountable in my work. I have never struggled to get work done in a timely manner, nor have I needed guidance on how to manage my workflow. I feel that Valpo ingrained those skills into me early enough for them to take root.

My senior year at Valpo, my beloved grandpa had a stroke. I was very close to my grandparents in Hobart, and was dedicated to his hospitalization, recovery, and being present for my grandma. That semester I was taking a “blow off class” outside of the social work department. In class, I was called on and asked a question about an assignment that I hadn’t completed. I admitted this to the professor. The class gasped (they were theater majors, so dramatics were high anyway).

Afterwards, I met with the professor, and she commended me for my honesty. LouJeanne and my teachers in the social work department knew all of us personally. They knew my personal struggles and supported me. While it was a small campus and a smaller department compared to others, our relationships with LouJeanne and the staff felt personal and individualized.

I’ve come a long way since that girl who walked into LouJeanne’s smoky office that afternoon. My life has taken unexpected twists and turns, but my commitment to the profession has remained constant.  I cannot imagine doing anything but being a social worker. I am forever grateful to the department and how it shaped me into who I am today, as a social worker and a human.