Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015 - (Page 28)

Q&A George Grant Jr. began his professional career in child welfare where he worked in foster care, adoption and family preservation with children who suffered abuse and neglect. He came to Grand Valley 18 years ago to work on a joint project between Grand Valley's School of Social Work and the Kent County Department of Human Services. He worked with students who were placed within the department and provided supervision, while also teaching classes. After serving in various roles at Grand Valley, he was named dean of the College of Community and Public Service (CCPS) in 2008. Grant received a bachelor's degree in social work from Marygrove College, a master's degree from Grand Valley and a doctorate in sociology from Western Michigan University. He spoke with Grand Valley Magazine about his career path, the 10th anniversary of CCPS, and his passion for community engagement. GVM: It's not unusual for students to change majors. You set out to be a lawyer and then found social work to be a better fit. Tell me about that. Q&A 28 Winter '15 George Grant Jr. by Dottie Barnes photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker Grant: In college, I took a variety of classes and spoke with different program directors and faculty members regarding my career. Once I learned about social work, I knew it was a better fit for me. I wanted to work with people who have challenges and needs, and advocate for them to have access to information and resources, so they would have the power to make decisions to help themselves.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015

Campus News
Athletics
Donor Impact
Arts
RMSC celebrates silver anniversary
Get a job
Another man's treasure
YGR
Research
Sustainability
Q&A George Grant Jr.
Off the Path
Focal Point
Alumni News

Grand Valley Magazine Winter 2015