Alexander Hurt

My experience working at Ladybird Diner allowed me to develop skills in working with people, managing and acting as a part of team. While there I developed skills for active listening and conflict resolution, as well time and stress management. My time at Ladybird offered me the opportunity to engage with and feed unhoused members of the Lawrence community, particularly after the 2020 COVID Pandemic. At this same time, I volunteered as a suicide prevention counselor at Headquarters Kansas. These opportunities gave me my initial experiences with community aid and engagement and helped cement my desire to serve and improve the community around me. During my time at Bert Nash, I have developed my skills for advocating and working alongside marginalized members of our community, meeting them where they are at and where they need me to. My time as a case manager has allowed me to develop expertise for teaching and practicing skills relevant to specific client needs, assessing client functioning, and identifying client strengths. My time as a Waiver Facilitator has reinforced my skills in communication and coordination across not only team members but across agencies as well. This has deepened my understanding of navigating the systems and accessing the services that support clients. Beyond this, my time in the MSW program has broadened my understanding for the need for clinicians who are skilled in cultural humility and practice a breadth of modalities. I deeply understand the need for social workers who are skilled in advocacy and have a deep sense of compassion and care for those they serve.