Human Services: One Degree, Many Paths

Dec 9, 2024 | News, Student Success

Southwestern’s newest degree program, Associate of Applied Science in Human Services, will graduate its first cohort of students this spring. Already, they are planning their future careers and how they want to serve the community. What draws people into the Human Services field?  Some answers might surprise you. 

Anna (Carder) Perry – Coos Campus

Anna Perry once thought she’d like to be a teacher. She tried college in 1989 enrolling in fall term at SWOCC. But life just didn’t cooperate for her to continue. It was after working for many years in the school districts, assisting children dealing with disabilities and behavior challenges, that she took the leap. Those years spent at the South Coast Educational Service District and the North Bend School District fueled her hunger to figure out what a child needs. “Behavior became my curiosity!” Perry said.

Born in Japan to an American dad and Japanese mother, at 10 Anna immigrated to Oregon. She ended up in the foster care system. She would spend the next seven years bouncing between eight different homes. Sometimes she was removed from a living situation without any explanation. A case worker would pick her up from school and take her to a new home. “I felt a lot of embarrassment. Wondering what was wrong with me that people didn’t want me,” she remembers. “But as I matured, I tried to take with me one positive lesson learned from each home situation and use it in my life.”

Ultimately, these experiences led Anna into a career working to understand and help children.

“My degree is a goal I finally see coming to light. Now I want to go back to working with kids locally and bringing all that I’ve learned to the community I love.”

“I’ve been really impressed with how my schoolwork and classes have organically complimented each other. From my Interpersonal Communications class with Dr. Ali Mageehon to Psychology with Cheryl Davies, and my Human Services classes with Dr. Lewis. They really have this curriculum figured out! They have the right people with the right experience sharing their knowledge.”

“My education at SWOCC has given me confidence. I understand so much more, and I have grown with new skills, knowledge, and experience all centered around mental health and behavioral issues.”

Ashley Cook – Curry Campus

The day we interviewed Ashley Cook for this feature coincidentally happened to be a significant milestone in her life. Nine years ago, she got clean, after spending more than half of her life struggling with addiction. To get away from a bad situation in California, family members helped her start over in Brookings. 

Homeless, with only a backpack and a skateboard, it’s here she found St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church – which proved to be a pivotal connection for her. She started engaging at the church, getting meals, showers, and volunteering for whatever needed to be done. Eventually, she landed a job cleaning hotel rooms.

Slowly, slowly she got her life back: a driver’s license, a place to live, her kids! Narcotics anonymous was her main support resource. One of their mottoes resonated with her, “we only keep what we have by giving it away.” After losing both her father and brother in drug-related deaths, Ashley gained a new perspective and felt compelled by a desire to give back and be of service to others. 

So, she signed up for school. “I knew I wanted to do something useful, but I was scared to change. I’m too old. It’s too hard, I would think.”

“I want to be the person for struggling teens that I wish I had when I was their age.”

Eventually Ashley met with Val Cowan, the Curry Campus Academic Advisor. When Val learned about Ashley’s background, and desire to become a drug and alcohol counselor, she knew the Human Services degree would be a perfect match. 

Have there been challenges? Of course. “I would be feeling down on myself. This is hard. I’m not doing well . . . then I’d turn in a paper and get an A and think, ‘Wow, I can do this.’ I also struggled with using technology. I wasn’t tech savvy, so I had to learn all of that, too. But John and Val at the Curry Campus were always there for me. And Dr. Lewis is amazing!”

“Now I’m addicted to learning and I want to keep going, perhaps earn my bachelor’s so I can work with young adults or at-risk teens. I’m ready!”

Whether working with individuals facing mental health challenges, addiction, families in crisis, or marginalized communities, social workers and counselors play a crucial role in supporting and empowering people to overcome obstacles and build better futures. Southwestern is committed to educating these future professionals!

To learn more about the Human Services degree contact Dr. Jenn Lewis at 541-888-7249 or by email at jennifer.lewis@socc.edu.

Read what our featured students have to say about their instructor Dr. Lewis:

“Professor Lewis is the heart and soul of my decision to continue my education. Her kindness, caring heart, and dedication have surpassed my expectations. I want to thank her for her compassion as we’ve navigated many challenging subjects.” – Anna Perry

“She’s an amazing teacher bringing tons of experience with her. She’s very supportive and understanding. She’s always there encouraging me when I am struggling with an assignment or just in general. She makes everyone feel included and doesn’t want to leave anybody behind.” – Ashley Cook