Relentless pursuit of a better future

One of a student’s education-defining moments is taking the leap from the classroom and textbook to real-world application; when a student flips the script and brings that experience into the classroom, the journey becomes even richer. Renee Booth ’24 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work and minors in deaf language and culture, psychology, and Native American studies. Her relentless pursuit of a better future is evident in the experiences that have shaped her education into an inspiring journey.

For Booth, changing her major to social work from a double major in business and social work in her first year set a course to join a long line of family members in service to others. “Someone in my family said it might be genetics since my grandma was a social worker for Hennepin County, her father was a police officer and I have a great-great uncle who was a social worker.”

Booth’s own experience with the public service sector is deeply personal. Her connections with social work and social workers during her time in foster care have shaped her perspective, driving a desire to improve these systems and contribute positively. To put it colloquially, public service was in her blood.

“I can see how my life experience directly impacted my career trajectory,” Booth said. “After realizing that a business degree was more about how to keep a business running than getting one started, I realized I would rather invest my energy in other areas.” As she put it, “I want to be part of making things better for people, which means being involved in social work.”

Bringing the classroom to life

Transitioning from a double major to focusing on social work was just the beginning of Booth’s educational journey. Starting her freshman year in a predominantly online environment during the pandemic added a layer of complexity to her college experience. However, Booth’s commitment to hands-on learning and personal connection remained strong. She actively sought out opportunities to connect with peers and faculty, making the most of her education through three internships, two study abroad trips and an Alternative Break Experience (ABE).

Booth did “a little bit of everything” in the social work sphere by the time she graduated: an internship at the public defender’s office, an internship at St. Louis County with children and families in the Families Assessment unit and an internship at a deaf and hard of hearing children’s camp. Additionally, she completed a work-study job that opened the door to employment at Safe Haven.

More prepared than expected

Her experiences over four years of undergraduate study helped narrow her focus to her current passion at the intersection of social work and criminal justice. “I think it’s just being frustrated about how that system works and wanting to be part of the solution, not part of the problem because it’s not really serving effective justice. And I think our system right now just puts everybody in jail or prison when that’s not really helpful. We treat drug crimes as criminal crimes when people likely need treatment instead. So things like that that get me upset,” Booth explained.

After completing three internships during her undergraduate program, Booth can attest that the first field experiences can be nerve-wracking but rewarding. “The feeling of not knowing what we were doing was more in our heads than anything; I think we were more prepared than we thought,” she shared. “When I started a new internship, I learned a lot just sitting back and watching to see how people worked with clients. It ended up being less about remembering what the book said about this or that and more about watching what people do and finding what works in that setting.”

Onward and upward

Reflecting on the undergraduate experience, she has few regrets: “I don’t really know that I’d change anything. I think I did what I was meant to do; even the bad things get you to learn the lesson that you need to know. I feel like I utilized my time well and took advantage of all the opportunities that I could afford.”

Her sights set on social work, Booth decided in her sophomore year to continue her educational journey in the master’s of social work program immediately after earning her bachelor’s. As a three-semester program for students with an undergraduate degree in social work, she said it was an easy decision. “My master’s internship will be at Genesis Recovery Services, which is in Duluth as well. And that’s more chemical dependency one-on-one therapy and group work,” she said.

Not surprisingly, her advice for new college students is simple: “Just show up. Just go to everything and take all the opportunities you have. That’s where you find new opportunities. And if you don’t go, then you don’t know what you’re missing.”