Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Honor student in social work
 Despite graduating this month with summa cum laude honors and a Bachelor’s degree in social work, senior Candace Landmark will return to USI next fall. “I’m starting the Master’s of Social Work program here in August,” she said.However, before the Bosse High graduate gets back to the books, she is considering spending the summer abroad in Chilé. The trip will allow Landmark, a Spanish minor, to continue to refine her secondary language skills. “The Master’s of Social Work is a clinical-based degree, so I’ll be doing some type of therapy,” she said. “I want to do marriage and family therapy and also work with the Hispanic population.” Along with classes and a thesis paper, the Master’s of Social Work Program requires Landmark to spend time in a clinical field placement program. That will be nothing new for the Evansville native. “I spent last semester in a field placement at Mental Health America, and this semester I’m interning at Ireland Home Base Services,” Landmark said. While working with Mental Health America, Landmark coordinated a new program that started therapy groups around Evansville for adolescents that have experienced loss. At Ireland Home Base Services, where she plans to work part-time after graduation, Landmark helps with a variety of tasks. The organization offers parent-aid services to help parents take the necessary steps to regain custody of their children. Among other things, they monitor certain children for signs of child abuse and neglect and mentor juveniles that have no parental figure in their lives. Her internships have helped Landmark gain an understanding and respect for her chosen profession. “I think social work is something you have to be built for,” she said. “You have to have the right personality and the compassion.” Landmark knew growing up that she was one of those people designed to help others, and she knew therapy would be her outlet for doing so. After some research, she discovered that a social work degree was her best option. “I didn’t know much about social work in high school. After looking into it, I realized that I could do therapy, which I’ve always wanted to do,” Landmark said. “After I enrolled in social work classes, I realized that the field is so diverse with many possibilities.” USI’s social work program played a major part in her college decision. “I hadn’t given USI consideration until the end of my senior year when I decided to apply for the Presidential Scholarship,” she said. “USI has a great social work program, and I realized I could have the benefits of focusing on my education without worrying about loans.” Now just weeks away from commencement, Landmark is set to graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. The accomplishment wasn’t a surprise for Landmark, but it wasn’t a long-term goal either. “I didn’t set out holding myself to the standard of a 4.0 GPA,” she said. “I set out to learn and do my best at my schoolwork, because if I’m not satisfied if I feel I haven’t done my best.” Landmark’s best has her at the top of the 2008 graduating class academically. It has also helped her move into the graduate program. It’s only a matter of time before her best has Landmark walking across a USI commencement stage for the second time. Landmark is the daughter of James and Elaine Landmark of Evansville, Indiana. |
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