To my fellow social work cohort: ‘The world needs us, so never give up’

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In this entry, student social worker Louis Peakes writes a letter addressing his cohort at the University of Hertfordshire, who have been a source of inspiration and support for him during his social work journey.

To my fellow level six cohort studying Social Work BSc (Hons) at the University of Hertfordshire.

I want to thank you all for being part of this journey that can often feel lonely (especially when writing assignments!). I am privileged to have shared the room with such a diverse group of people, all with their individual talents and expertise, that I’m sure will go on to do great things.

A special thanks to our lecturers for giving us their time, sharing their years of knowledge and wisdom, and, most importantly, for putting up with us!

You have all shaped me into a better person and a better professional.

It feels like we have so far to go, but we are nearly there. We can do this. The world needs us, so never give up.

When entering the world of social work, you can sometimes feel like you’re a drop of water in a vast ocean.

On that note, I finish with the wise words of Samuel L Jackson:

“Take a stand for what’s right. Raise a ruckus and make a change. You may not always be popular, but you’ll be part of something larger and greater than yourself. Besides, making history is extremely cool.”

How to nominate a colleague

For our 50th anniversary, we’re expanding our series My Brilliant Colleague to include anyone who has inspired you in your career – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by either:

• Filling in our nominations form with a letter or a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.
• Or sending a voice note of up to 90 seconds to +447887865218, including your and the nominee’s names and roles.

Despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry.

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com.