USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Alex Van Voorhis, MSW, CSW

Degree: Master of Social Work

Alex Van Voorhis, MSW, CSW

Current Position: Program Supervisor, Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, University of South Dakota

As an undergrad at UND Fargo, Alex Van Voorhis studied music and communications. But, after a half dozen years in sales and marketing, she realized it wasn't her calling.

"So I started exploring," she says. "I had always had an interest in working with victims of violence, but I knew I didn't necessarily want to be a mental health therapist and go down the clinical route."

Her exploration led her to social work and to Sioux Falls. "I saw that there were so many opportunities within social work to help people through prevention, training and education, grant-based work, policy development, etc." she says.

When she decided to pursue her master's degree, the USD School of Health Sciences Master of Social Work program, with its high student pass rate on the state licensing exam and its flexible learning options, stood out.

"I liked that the faculty was here in Sioux Falls but they also had the online degree options," says Van Vorhis. "So I could still work and attend classes online."

But the most impactful part of her experience at USD was her internship in the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, where she is now a program supervisor.

"I just knew, based on the type of work that they did and the team that was here, that this is where I wanted to end up," she says.

Today, Van Voorhis supervises the delivery of training for prospective foster care parents. The integration between USD's social work department and the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment made the transition from student to professional seamless.

"Lucky for me, they had a job open when I graduated," she says. "It was a natural progression to come and take a role here."