By Alana Holm, Peer Support Coordinator, Compeer of Greater Buffalo

March is Social Work Month, a time to celebrate the impact social workers have in our communities. For me, it’s also a time to reflect on the unexpected journey that led me to this profession. My college journey began in 1996, and like many people at that age, I thought I had it all figured out. I enrolled in ceramic engineering, believing I was on a clear path toward a career. But after an experience that changed everything, I had to step away from school entirely. What followed were several years of uncertainty, years where I didn’t know what I wanted to do, only that the path I had been on was no longer mine.

During that time, I took some courses and became a lifeguard and swim instructor at the YMCA. In 1998, I got married, and between 1999 and 2003 I had my children. From the outside, life may have looked full and busy, but I was in an unhealthy marriage. By 2007, I was divorced and working at FedEx Office. I genuinely enjoyed my job and eventually decided to return to school for business, with hopes of becoming a store manager one day.

Then something unexpected happened.

As part of my coursework, I took a humanities class and I was completely hooked. While I struggled to stay engaged in my business classes, I couldn’t get enough of learning about human behavior and the question of why we do the things we do. That curiosity felt different. It felt personal.

At the same time, I was navigating a lot in my own life. I was processing the trauma of an abusive marriage, supporting my child through mental health challenges, and watching my younger brother struggle with his mental health while my parents tried to navigate a complicated and often frustrating system to get him the support he needed. As I advocated for my son, I also began to learn more about myself, eventually realizing that I live with ADHD.

That realization brought both clarity and struggle. Understanding my own mental health helped explain why I experience the world the way I do, why I approach situations differently, and why certain paths in my life looked the way they did. It gave language to things I had felt for years and helped me make sense of decisions I once questioned. At the same time, it required a lot of self-compassion and unlearning, recognizing that different does not mean wrong.

All of these experiences stirred something in me, a deep, internal pull toward working in the mental health field.

Looking back, I realize that I’ve always had a strong need to help and support others. At times, that part of me was taken advantage of. But ultimately, I came to understand that it wasn’t a weakness, it was my strength.

I transferred from Niagara County Community College to Buffalo State to pursue social work. To be honest, I didn’t fully understand what social work was when I started. Many people in my life assumed I was paying for college just to hand out welfare checks or food stamps. But as I learned about social work values, systems, and advocacy, I discovered a profession rooted in dignity, justice, and meaningful change. I found myself genuinely excited for classes, learning how systems interact, how they influence people’s lives, and how we can step in to help.

As I approached my final semester in 2014, I still wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. So, I did something simple: I went on Facebook and started following mental health agencies in Western New York. That’s when I saw a post about teaching Youth Mental Health First Aid through an AmeriCorps position hosted at Compeer. I didn’t even know what Compeer was but I was intrigued by the idea of educating the community about mental health and how to support others.

That one decision changed everything.

Once I started working at Compeer and learned about its purpose of offering friendship to people living with mental health challenges, it clicked for me right away. The focus on connection, belonging, and reducing loneliness resonated deeply with me. I had watched my brother and my child struggle to form friendships, feel left out, and be misunderstood. I also saw how much they thrived when they were surrounded by people who accepted them for who they were, not who others thought they should be.

In 2018, I earned my Peer Support Certification, and embracing my lived experience became a turning point, both personally and professionally. Living with ADHD and having my own mental health journey has strengthened my work as a social worker. It has allowed me to connect more authentically, lead with empathy, and truly honor the idea that people are experts in their own lives. My lived experience doesn’t define me, but it absolutely informs how I show up, with understanding, flexibility, and compassion.

My path toward earning my MSW followed the same non-linear pattern as the rest of my journey. I initially began my graduate studies at the University at Buffalo. It’s a strong program, but ultimately, it wasn’t the right fit for me, particularly when it came to balancing coursework with work and life responsibilities. I started and stopped a couple of times, learning along the way that sometimes persistence also means recognizing when something isn’t working.

In 2022, I made the decision to apply to the Advanced Standing MSW program at Daemen University, and it made all the difference. The program was an intensive 10-month experience, with two to three classes every six weeks, all offered virtually. While demanding, the structure fit my life in a way that finally made completion possible.

The combination of coursework and hands-on experience was meaningful and affirming. The professors at Daemen were incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and understanding of the realities adult learners and working professionals face. For the first time, my graduate education felt aligned; challenging, supportive, and achievable. I graduated with my MSW in 2023 and earned my LMSW in 2025.

But beyond degrees and credentials, I’ve grown as a person because of the incredible people I’ve met along the way: staff, volunteers, clients, interns, and community supporters.

I worked hard to get where I am. But I also feel incredibly lucky that a flyer I scrolled past on Facebook, a 10-month assignment, turned into a 11-year journey filled with purpose, growth, and gratitude. This Social Work Month, I’m grateful to be part of a profession that values empathy, advocacy, and community. And I’m grateful that a path I once thought was uncertain ultimately led me to work that feels meaningful every day.