By Karrie Johnson, student writer, UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Michelle (Missy) Collins
- Eau Claire, Wis.
- Bachelor of social work
- What's next: Spending time with her son, starting a business running a home for developmentally disabled individuals and seeking employment in the social work field
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UW-Eau Claire photo by Rick Mickelson |
After years of working with individuals with special needs and opening her home to children in the community, Michelle (Missy) Collins decided it was time to return to school.
"I chose UW-Eau Claire because of the location and my ability to attend without having to travel or uproot my family," said Collins, a nontraditional student graduating with a degree in social work, of her decision to attend UW-Eau Claire. "It allowed me to continue to provide care to children in need."
Caring for foster children is a passion for Collins that continued throughout her college career and that influenced her decision to enter the social work program at UW-Eau Claire.
"I chose social work because I love working with kids, families and people of all populations and ages in general," she said. "I want to make a difference in the overall system and how services are provided."
Before returning to school Collins worked many different jobs, including hospice care, certified nurse assistant work and working at camps for developmentally and physically challenged individuals. Now, Collins and her partner have plans to start their own business helping those in need.
"We recently licensed an adult family home for developmentally disabled individuals," Collins said, "and I would like to get that up and going to be able to help individuals succeed in life despite the challenges they might face."
More on Missy Collins
Future plans: I would like to open some kind of assisted living or transitional housing for young adults aging out of the foster care system because too often these young adults turn 18 and the state then decides they are no longer responsible and many of them end up on the streets homeless without employment because of lack of support. We want to provide that ongoing support! In addition, eventually I would like to return to school and complete my master's degree in social work.
Unique aspects of her UW-Eau Claire experience: I am a nontraditional, lesbian, treatment foster care parent of teenagers. Also, my partner and I decided to pursue IVF in Argentina during the summer of 2007, because though I was a full-time student, my age was a factor in the possibility of conceiving. So we did it, and now we are 38 and 47 with four teenage girls, a 21-year-old son in college and a 1-year-old son just walking. My entire experience in the UW-Eau Claire social work program has been a challenge with my back injury and surgery during the semester prior to returning to school, the loss of my partner's mother, and finally the birth of our son Koa James in April of last year. I am thankful to all of my fellow classmates and my professors for their support and continued help throughout the semesters at UW-Eau Claire.
What she liked most about her UW-Eau Claire experience:
- The willingness of both the social work and women's studies departments to work with me and other students in general to be successful.
- The concept that the students are the teachers that is taken in many of the women's studies courses.
Highlights of life at UW-Eau Claire:
- Obtaining assistance from the Academic Skills Center. The tutors were great!
- The group of colleagues that I have had the honor of knowing — both graduate students and all those still in pursuit of their degrees.
- Knowing and working with Dr. Fennell, Dr. Ryberg and Dr. Smiar, as well as Wanda Ryan, Dr. Langer and Dr. Kriss Kevorkian. They each taught me different things about the field that are unique to their own styles and that have been and will be beneficial to my future.
- Learning about and having some of our teenagers participate in the Upward Bound program.
- Speaking about being a treatment foster care parent in the child welfare classes.
- Speaking at the Spectrum meeting about the case my partner Diane and I have against the state with the ACLU, fighting for health care for domestic partners, as well as speaking about our trip to Argentina to have our son.
Proudest college accomplishments:
- The birth of our son Koa!
- Graduation of our son from high school.
- The aging out of our foster daughter, and her success in college.
- The positive impact on our foster children every day!
- The fact that I came back to school, made it through the program and am graduating on May 16! It would not be possible without the support of my partner, Diane, our kids, my family and fellow graduates.
Advice for incoming students:
- Make contact with your professors and introduce yourself. Get noticed!
- Stay in contact with others in your cohort and connect with as many as possible. Be aware that we are all individuals and though we may not always agree, we can agree to disagree and still consider other perspectives on any given situation.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help or clarification.
- Go to school for yourself, not other people. Do what it is that makes you happy. It makes life much more enjoyable.
Learn about other featured May 2009 graduates
