Anitra Mims of Spartanburg Inducted into Social Work Honor Society at Limestone College

2011 Jun 21

Anitra Mims of Spartanburg is an inaugural inductee into Limestone College's chapter of Phi Alpha, a social work honor society.

With an 85% graduation rate, Limestone College has the largest Bachelor's of Social Work (BSW) program in the state of South Carolina. Students who are enrolled in the program are given the chance to participate in various internships, become a part of the Student Social Organization, complete volunteer work with several community projects, and conduct professional shadowing with community organizations.

Phi Alpha, a national, student-led honor society for social work majors, was conceptualized in 1960 by a group of undergraduates at Michigan State University. Their purpose was to start an organization that promoted the goals and ideals of humanitarianism and set higher standards for social workers. Today, there are over 380 chapters of Phi Alpha across the United States and Ontario, Canada.

To become a member of Phi Alpha, students are required to have a minimum 3.5 grade point average in their required social work classes and be of a junior status, completing at least 60 credit hours total and a minimum of 15 hours of the mandatory social work courses. New members will be inducted into the honor society each semester.

One of the benefits of becoming a member of this organization is that the students are provided opportunities to gain practical and meaningful experience in community outreach. Dr. Chuck Kuhn, Phi Alpha advisor and Associate Professor of Social Work at Limestone, explains that "the Rho Iota Chapter... carries out a variety of community service projects across the state at the eight locations where social work is offered. These include gathering food for the local food pantry, clothing and coat drives, collecting books for libraries, and constructing playground equipment at domestic violence shelters."

Students enrolled in the Limestone program are given the chance to participate in various internships, become a part of the Student Social Organization, complete volunteer work with several community projects, and conduct professional shadowing with community organizations.

Limestone's program, which began in 1985, is often recognized for its continuous support of its students upon graduating, earning it one of the largest social work alumni groups at a BSW level in South Carolina. Led by the knowledge they have garnered over their years here at Limestone, many graduates have gone on to careers working with hospitals, family services, hospice services and the Department of Social Services.

Jackie Puckett, Associate Dean and Director of Social Work at Limestone, believes that the reason the social work program is so popular is because students "like the idea of doing a job that allows them to directly help others while building a good life for themselves" and find it nice "to be able to get employment with your degree right out of school."

Puckett also hopes that students who are interested in going into the field realize how much of an emotional commitment being a social worker truly is. "You do not have to like everyone, but you are required to love and respect everyone that you meet. Those that understand the differences in these terms will probably be good Social Work material."

Limestone College is a four-year, liberal arts institution with its main campus in Gaffney, SC. Limestone is also a pioneer in the medium of Internet-based courses. Established in 1845, Limestone offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of social work, associate of arts, and associate of science degrees through traditional and non-traditional educational opportunities. For more information, log onto www.limestone.edu.