Ashley Cedeno

“I’m not completely sure what I want to do after Carthage, but I do know that I would like to either work with children, as a school social worker or caseworker, or work on a macro-level to change and propose policies that benefit marginalized groups in society.”

“Professor Rebecca Hornung has had a major impact on my life and Carthage career. I have had two courses with her so far, and I have learned so much from her. I hope to one day be as compassionate and involved with the community as she is. She has an abundance of experiences working with marginalized groups in society, and her input in the classroom has really helped me learn and aspire to be the change in the world. Becki is an amazing person and a beautiful human being.”

“My favorite class at Carthage was a J-Term course on campus titled The Wire: Exploring Institutional Oppression and Social Change, with Professor Hornung. During this course, we watched a season of ‘The Wire‘ (HBO) and really dug deep into the issues that are still very present in our society today regarding racism and institutional oppression. I learned an extensive amount in this course and it completely changed how I view the world. I 100 percent recommend this course to absolutely anyone, no matter what major they are. I enjoyed this course so much and learned so much that I strongly believe it should be mandatory for every Carthage student because of how informative and beneficial it was for me.”

“I am the president of Phi Alpha, the Social Work Honors Society here at Carthage. I am also involved in Animal Rights & Activism Club, Philosophy Club, CURE, and Open Table. I also hold a Senate position in Student Government.”

“My toughest class was my Chemistry class freshman year. I’m not a science person at all; so much so that I withdrew from the course and instead fulfilled my LAB credit on a J-Term study tour.”

“I have had a couple of internships including one at KAFASI, or the Kenosha Area Family Aging Services Inc., where I assisted in an elderly home. It was essentially similar to a daycare and I helped organize games and movie days while mingling with the elderly. I also interned at the Kenosha Job Center, where I aided individuals who were unemployed to either fill out job applications or write resumes.”

“I have gone on two J-Term study tours. One year I went to Guatemala for a Spanish Immersion course, and I recently went to Costa Rica for an Ecology in the Rainforest course.”

“I received the Presidential Dahl Scholarship, which covers 75 percent of tuition, not including room and board. This scholarship has really been a blessing. I do not think I would still be attending Carthage if it weren’t for this scholarship and I’m so grateful.”

“Some of my favorite Carthage moments include spending time on the rocks by the lake with friends, traveling for J-Term, and meeting new people.”

“Starbucks!”

“The biggest surprise for me here at Carthage was how much I actually enjoy my classes. I came into college with an undecided major, but once I realized social work was perfect for me and started taking the courses, I fell in love even more with this career path. I didn’t expect to be this excited about my classes, but it was a very nice surprise.”

“I think my 8-year-old self would be incredibly happy and excited about my career path. I’ve always had a passion for helping people. My 8 year-old-self always found ways to try to make people happy and help, even in the most minimal of ways.”

“Although social work is often a thankless career, it is so worth it. Studying social work is a humbling experience and it helps you grow both intellectually and as a human being. My advice is to build strong relationships with your peers and, most importantly, be the change you want to see in the world.”