A month has past since my Military Social Work and Behavioral Health (MSWBH) conference. In that past month, I have had time to process my experience. My reflection on the conference leaves me more excited and optimistic to enter the field of military social work than ever before. I spent three days surrounded by professionals. All of whom offered me inspiration and support in my journey.

I learned that solo travel and conferences are not as scary as they seem. This some how surprised me. It seems like a no-brainer, but it wasn’t. I was terrified to go to a conference meant for professionals as a mere undergraduate student. As I face that fear head on, it was soothed as the people around me congratulated me on my attendance. I quickly realized that people who go out of their way to attend an educational conference are actually really nice. They were all excited to see a young student going after experiences in the field. If you share a similar fear of being “just a student,” remember that those around you were in your shoes once and are more than happy to support you when you need it! They were all had their own piece of wisdom to share with me. suggestions for different courses to take or how to take care of my mental health when working in mental health. I am walking away with knowledge that I wouldn’t have learned had I not attended.

The MSWBH conference was a truly life changing experience. My plan of action hasn’t changed, still working towards my MSW. However, my motives have been adjusted. I heard so many stories from social workers about how hard the field is. They are understaffed and overworked, but they wouldn’t change their jobs for the world. I always wanted to go into the field to help others, and that is still the same. Just now I also feel the desire fill a. much needed role. I look forward to attending more conferences and hearing from more people about why they wanted to join the field and what I can learn before I fully enter the field.