As fall break quickly approaches, ACP has brought another wonderful addition to our amazing faculty. For the first time, ACP cordially invites Mrs. Tina Swanson as our school’s social worker! Mrs. Swanson has a wealth of experience in helping our students in need of assistance, and she is looking forward to bring great ideas to benefit our high school. Mrs. Swanson’s office is located in the College & Career office, so stop by and say hello. I asked Mrs. Swanson some questions about herself to understand what she will do in the future for our school:

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

A: I was born in Downey, California but grew up around the Los Angeles area. I moved to Arizona about five years ago and have a family of two girls and a husband. I enjoy reading, spending time with my family and friends, working with other people, and shopping!

Q: What university did you attend?

A: I went to California State University Dominguez Hills for undergraduate and went to San Jose State University for graduate school.

Q: What will you be doing around campus?

A: As the school’s social worker, I provide mental health services to the students on campus (individually or as a group)- which includes a very specific population. Other than that, I do school-wide programs usually at the discretion of the principal. Since I am new, I have been doing training for child-abuse reports, suicide prevention, and many more.

Q: What inspired you to become a social worker?

A: I always knew that I would want to be a helper. I honestly wanted to be a hairdresser growing up to help people in that way. But when I went to college, I explored various careers where I could assist people. I enjoyed working with kids and their families, so working at a school seemed like a great fit for me. Initially, I thought of becoming a teacher; I was at a Title I school where most students would come late, not clean, and were hungry. I thought about what would be a good role to provide service to them, then a school social worker major came up and that’s what I decided to major in.

Q: Why did you decide to come to ACP?

A: I enjoy working with high school students and young adults in terms of helping them succeed and making sure that they are happy- mentally, physically, and academically. With that being said, as life transitions and your energy levels differ, I feel like I have more energy working with teens and older kids. To answer the question specifically, I have been a social worker for 20 years now, and ACP Erie felt like a great challenge for me to work in.

Thank you Mrs. Swanson for joining ACP’s wonderful family; getting to know you and your story was truly inspiring. We all wish you the best and I hope you have a wonderful first year!