Lakisha Johnson recently received an award for outstanding Master in Social Work Student of the Year from the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). This award honors an Indiana student member who exemplifes the profession’s values/ethics, goals, and mission. NASW chooses a student with an overall accomplishment and commitment in an area such leadership, academic achievement, and/or community involvement.
Johnson, originally from Queens, NY, moved to Terre Haute in 2005 to create a better life for her children. Johnson will graduate this month with her Master in Social Work degree along with her daughter who will graduate with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice.
Johnson says she loves working in the mental health field and recently completed an internship with Hamilton Center, Inc.
“Social work is my second profession, but my first love,” said Johnson. “I worked in the business field for a number of years in various positions, but felt empty and decided to get my degree in social work because I wanted to do something that impacts people’s lives in a profound way.”
Johnson has made social work a priority in her life and looks at the profession as second nature. She is active in volunteering at Sarah Scott Middle School and is a Girl Scout Troop Leader. She spends her time helping others on the campus of ISU as a peer mentor.
Hamilton Center, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system serving central and west central Indiana. Offices are located in ten Indiana counties with the Corporate Office in Terre Haute. Hamilton Center serves people during their entire life cycle, birth through older adulthood with programs specifically designed for young children, adolescents, adults and families.
