Humans of Duke Sanford - Humans of Duke Sanford

This job was created in part by students for students. My official title is Student Wellness and Engagement Coordinator, and my role serves students in the MPP and the MIDP program.

On the wellness side I work one on one with students. I do personal sessions for mental health concerns, stressors, time management, processing personal conflict, stuff like that. I like helping students navigate the hardships that grad school brings, but also the joy that it brings.

I also plan programming. We did a Welcome Wellness Week, we did a community hike. I’m helping the Mental Health Mondays flourish this year.

Before becoming a social worker, I imagined writing policy. My brain works well with organizational skills, so I imagined being an executive assistant, being in the room where policies and strategies were being discussed.

I was fortunate to work for a time in Raleigh. There are representatives in the state of NC that have a social work background working in policy. Up until graduate school I really saw myself doing like the big lens work.

My mom is a social I worker, and I think I was holding back on doing social work direct practice because that's what she did. She's my biggest role model. But I feel like I was always compared to her growing up. And so, I think in my immaturity I kind of held back.

But I am really glad I moved in the direction of social work – and practicing social work at a school for public policy is a perfect fit.

One thing I'm big on is helping Sanford students see that the grad school experience is not the same as the undergrad experience. Acclimating to grad school is a big theme for the students I work with. Before coming to grad school, you might have been established in a community, you might have left friends and partners to come here.

Also - our students are really talented and helping them see their strengths is important. I use a strength-based approach, to help them see that their seat at the table is earned. We can believe it in ourselves, but it sometimes takes someone else sitting across the table from you to see it yourself and to believe it. – Mackenzie Phillips

This job was created in part by students for students. My official title is Student Wellness and Engagement Coordinator, and my role serves students in the MPP and the MIDP program.

On the wellness side I work one on one with students. I do personal sessions for mental health concerns, stressors, time management, processing personal conflict, stuff like that. I like helping students navigate the hardships that grad school brings, but also the joy that it brings.

I also plan programming. We did a Welcome Wellness Week, we did a community hike. I’m helping the Mental Health Mondays flourish this year.

Before becoming a social worker, I imagined writing policy. My brain works well with organizational skills, so I imagined being an executive assistant, being in the room where policies and strategies were being discussed.

I was fortunate to work for a time in Raleigh. There are representatives in the state of NC that have a social work background working in policy. Up until graduate school I really saw myself doing like the big lens work.

My mom is a social I worker, and I think I was holding back on doing social work direct practice because that’s what she did. She’s my biggest role model. But I feel like I was always compared to her growing up. And so, I think in my immaturity I kind of held back.

But I am really glad I moved in the direction of social work – and practicing social work at a school for public policy is a perfect fit.

One thing I’m big on is helping Sanford students see that the grad school experience is not the same as the undergrad experience. Acclimating to grad school is a big theme for the students I work with. Before coming to grad school, you might have been established in a community, you might have left friends and partners to come here.

Also – our students are really talented and helping them see their strengths is important. I use a strength-based approach, to help them see that their seat at the table is earned. We can believe it in ourselves, but it sometimes takes someone else sitting across the table from you to see it yourself and to believe it. – Mackenzie Phillips #HumansofDukeSanford #Staff