Current Position: School Based Clinician at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
Story Last Updated: Summer 2024
For Carlisle Dixon, deciding which college to attend was easy.
I knew what I wanted my future to look like, and I knew GMercyU’s program was going help get me there.
“Being a small program allows the professors to assist you one-on-one and help you figure out your path. The professors work hard in teaching you all you need to know and to prep you for the real world.”
Through close mentorship, GMercyU’s BSW Program also helps you make an impact on the real world as you learn. For example, Carlisle and a classmate piloted a successful fundraiser to purchase a tank that collects rainfall and converts it into fresh water for those in need — in this particular case, a family of six from a poverty stricken area of Haiti. The fundraiser was a service learning project they completed for their Human Behavior and Social Environment class. In September 2019, Carlisle and her classmate had the honor of presenting their project at the annual conference for the National Association of Social Workers’ Pennsylvania chapter. At the conference, they were also able to connect with professionals in the industry.
Carlisle was inducted into the Social Work Honor Society, all while juggling her coursework while serving as captain of GMercyU’s field hockey team. Carlisle feels her experience in the BSW Program as a whole has been a blessing.
I think I was able to find my true self and see all the things I am capable of doing. I learned that social work is not going to be an easy job, that some days may be a challenge and to always take care of myself. I was able to see more of what social work is — what it is you truly do, not just the stereotypes you hear. This program has prepared me to face any challenge and to see how I can touch the lives of many people.
Carlisle faced an extreme challenge while interning for the Indian Creek Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic. She helped the Foundation pivot to telehealth services and was an integral part of their success during the transition. Read more about Carlisle’s internship.
With her future now in clear focus, Carlisle graduated with a bachelor of science in social work and will be pursuing her master of social work at Widener University in the Advanced Standing Program. She hopes to continue working with children or adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Wherever I end up, I will be happy as long as I am with children and helping them be more than what they believe they are capable of.”
