May 22, 2018
This has been a spring of new life and new opportunity for Lakeisha Outlaw. The Cleveland-native gave birth to a baby girl April 6, graduated from Ursuline College May 18, and started her new, full-time job three days later.
“It’s a lot but it’s all good,” said Outlaw of the recent developments in her life.
Having earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology, Outlaw is launching her career in social service with a job as an intervention specialist at Applewood Centers, a Northeast Ohio nonprofit human services organization.
She is grateful for her Ursuline experience, especially for professors who pushed her to succeed and “really drilled ethics.” Outlaw is also grateful to Gerri Jenkins, director of the Office of Counseling and Career Services, for helping her find the fall 2017 internship that led to the full-time job she had all lined up well before her graduation.
Outlaw interned at the Department of Child and Family Services, working with children and teens under the supervision of a licensed social worker. She grew as a professional, meeting with parents regarding their children, going on school, home and medical visits and maintaining important records in a database.
“It was definitely a learning experience. I enjoyed it,” she said.
That experience set her apart from the other applicants for the full-time position at Applewood, where she’ll be working with young women, age eight to 18.
“Ursuline prepared me,” she said, for the job and for the job interviews. “We had to do so many group projects and talk in front of the whole class. That definitely boosted my confidence.”
Looking ahead, Outlaw hopes to pursue a master’s degree in social work, and eventually work as a medical social worker. For now, she’s focused on adjusting to a whole new life.
