In her pursuit of a career in social work, Sylvia Ofori-Yeboah gained the knowledge and received the support she needed from her professors and campus community at Southwest Baptist University.
“The academics at SBU prepared me for graduate school and my post-grad jobs by challenging me to excel academically, to be a critical thinker and to value a strong work ethic,” said Sylvia ’19, who earned her bachelor of social work degree at SBU before going on to earn a master’s in social work at Missouri State University. Sylvia, a licensed master social worker (LMSW), currently is an outpatient clinician at Burrell Behavioral Health.
“SBU faculty believed in my abilities as a student, but they also believed in my ability to impact my environment for good.”
While a student, Sylvia also discovered the value of getting involved both on campus and in the community through SBU’s University Activities Council and Polk County KLIFE.
“Both of these activities helped me connect to other students and to the community of Bolivar,” Sylvia said. “It gave me opportunities to serve others in a variety of ways and they were both a lot of fun! These clubs showed me the importance of putting in the effort to get connected to a command serve.”
In addition to growing academically and in service, Sylvia also matured in her Christian walk.
“I grew in knowledge and application of my Christian faith at SBU due to classes like Old Testament, New Testament, and Spiritual Formation,” Sylvia said. “I also got to see my professors live lives devoted to Christ as they work in areas of interest.”
And, the support from SBU’s faculty and community has been, and continues to be, a valuable experience for Sylvia.
“I would not be where I am today without my BSW social work cohort and professors,” said Sylvia, who provides mental health therapy and is working toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). “I still reach out to them for guidance and they offer me encouragement.
“At SBU, I felt valued and encouraged. It wasn't about what I brought financially to the school. It was about SBU wanting raise up servant leaders in a global society.”