By the time she went to work for the University's Disability Services Program, Michele McCandless was 45 and had given up her dream of becoming a social worker. Four years later, she had earned her MSW.
Just a few months after she became Associate Director of the Disability Services Program, McCandless was having a conversation with Professor Carole Fee Ivanoff, GSSW's former Director of Student Services. Suddenly Ivanoff interrupted her. "You're a social worker!" Ivanoff exclaimed. "You're talking just like a social worker!"
No, McCandless said. That had been her dream for many years, but now it was just too late. If she attended GSSW part-time, she'd be nearly 50 by the time she earned her degree. "Well," responded Ivanoff, "you're going to be 50 no matter what you do!"
That was all it took. McCandless, whose affinity for social work had only increased during the years she worked for a variety of non-profit agencies, enrolled as a part-time GSSW student in the fall of 2001.
From all walks of life
"What I love about GSSW is that they're willing to take people from all walks of life and make them into social workers," says McCandless. "My classmates were fascinating to listen to because they had so many different reasons for being there, and so many different goals."
McCandless herself had planned on a military career, like those of the male relatives on both sides of her family. She joined ROTC in college, then entered the Air Force after graduation. But she soon discovered she had "an ornery streak" that chafed at the military's countless administrative rules. After four years, she moved on to a career in human services.
Finding solutions
In her present position, McCandless works with the 725 University of Denver students who have documented disabilities and have requested accommodations.
"We're arbiters, rather than advocates," she explains. "We try to find solutions and compromises that work well for all parties involved."
McCandless says she draws frequently on what she learned in an MSW class on conflict-resolution. "It was one of my hardest classes, and it was exhausting," she recalls, "but it was also one of the most eye-opening. Now I use those skills all the time."
A non-traditional student
Because she was older than most of her classmates, McCandless says she particularly appreciated the way her professors valued her prior professional experiences.
"They helped me understand that I already had skills," she says. "I just needed to sharpen them and learn to use them in other ways."
In fact, McCandless has only one regret about earning her MSW. "I just wish I had
done it earlier!" she says. "I love being a social worker, and I'm constantly encouraging
others to go to GSSW."
