A new program was recently implemented at Minot State University to allow social work students in Williston to take classes through an Interactive Video Network, or IVN, and receive credit at MSU toward a social work degree.

These Williston residents have been able to enjoy the best of both worlds, as they are able to get a full degree in social work without having to leave their home and families to pursue their educational goals. Many of them work in Williston while completing their classwork online, allowing them to move forward with their careers at the same time.

Charlene Bruley, Director of the Social Work Program at MSU, says that the idea for the program came about entirely from student interest.

"A student called me to discuss the idea, and there was enough interest in it to develop a program. You never know what the possibilities can be at a university, and this program has been like a dream," she says.

Their goal is to offer the program every year, and Bruley says that there is quite a high demand for people to work in the social work field, and so this is an extremely important program. Nicole Johansen-Bryant is completing the program with her mother, and says that her experiences with the program will always remain on her top 10 list of things she has ever done.

"I have been given the opportunity to become part of something that I believe in and I did not have to leave home to do so. I did not have to uproot my children, distance myself from a supportive network of family, and was able to help the future of social work from a rural location," she says.

Sharing this experience with her mother has furthered not only their personal relationship but also their professional development.

"We have taken advantage of bouncing ideas off of one another, discussing topics from school, and providing feedback, which has all contributed to so much growth," she said.

She is also thankful to have acquired such positive role models.

"I do not see life out of the same lenses that I did three years ago," Johansen-Bryant says. "The professors are outstanding both at the Minot and Williston campuses."

She says the program has positives for all involved including the students, schools, and the communities in which they live, and she hopes to bring a piece of each instructor with her on her journey.

"I would like to make them proud, as well as my family, as I carry out and use all of the professional tools the social work program and Williston State have provided me," she said.

Johansen-Bryant's mother, Tamara Hilton, has worked at the NW Service Center in Williston for over 16 years and is as an aide for the Serious Mental Illness unit there. Hilton says the classes for the program have been intriguing and promoted self-reflection for her.

"I particularly enjoyed the history classes, in which we interviewed veterans of WWII and Korea," Hilton says. "I actually cried when those classes ended because they made such an impact on me."

Another highlight was attending the program with her daughter.

"Crossing the graduation stage in Minot this May will certainly be exciting, but even moreso knowing that my daughter and I accomplished this dream together," she says. "We will graduate the weekend of Mother's Day, and this will be the best one I have ever had."

Her mother plans to attend the graduation to see her daughter and grand-daughter cross the stage.

Hilton says she would strongly recommend Williston State College as a stepping stone toward continued education, and that the curriculum of the program was very well thought out.

"The strengths of the professors lie in such diverse areas, which is one reason the program is so well developed," Hilton says.

She hopes to become a case manager in the SMI unit at the NW Human Service Center, or work in another capacity at the Department of Human Services.

Another student who would not have been able to complete a degree if the program was not held in Williston is Ashilee Granrud, who says the highlight of the program for her was being able to pursue her bachelor's degree in a field she is interested in while being able to continue living in her hometown.

"This was the first time this program was offered through the IVN from Minot, but the professors and MSU staff were well organized and have adapted to teaching and accommodating long distance education students in several ways," she says.

Granrud also says she has established reliable care for her children and has a family here in Williston who helps her with anything she needs, and it would have been very difficult for her to relocate to Minot.

Karin O'Cain, who moved to Williston from Tioga eight years ago with her son, says the program has provided her with the luxury of continuing to live where she has the support of her family while pursuing her lifelong dream. She has been interested in social work since grade school and decided then that she wanted to help people in this way.

"I learned a lot about myself in the process of completing this program," she says. "I will also be the first person in my family to graduate from college, and that for me is a big accomplishment."

The program benefited her son as well, as she was prepared to relocate to Minot in order to obtain a social work degree, and this would have meant pulling her son out of school in Williston. O'Cain says she is excited to be able to apply everything she has learned in the program to a real world setting.

Danea Zaste, who is interested in child welfare, says she has enjoyed getting to know her fellow students in addition to learning from the program.

"We are such a diverse group of individuals and everyone brings something different to the classes," she says. "I have established some lifelong friendships along the way."

She says she also enjoys not having to travel to Minot, and that textbooks can be ordered online through the bookstore.

"A benefit of taking the classes through the IVN is that you still get the support of being in the classroom, and you can interact with the professor and other students," she said.

She adds that the program is challenging, but that MSU does an excellent job of making sure each student is fully committed to becoming a social worker.

"It really goes to show what a dedicated group we are," she said.

Allison Salveson, who participated in the Miss North Dakota Organization three years ago with a platform involving self-mutilation, says she has extracted much from the program.

"I was drawn to social work," she says. "I always knew I wanted to help people in some way, and this program has been an exciting process."

She also says they have learned a lot through trial and error.

"We have all learned what works and what doesn't in terms of technology, and so if the program was to be offered again it would have a lot of the kinks worked out," she says.

Salveson says that the knowledge she has obtained through this program helped her to grow personally as well as professionally.

"I have become more self-aware in all areas of my life, which in turn has given me the motivation to work on building areas of confidence that were lacking before," she said.

She also says that the teachers and staff have been extremely helpful throughout the whole process. "They're always just a phone call away," she says. Salveson hopes to work with adolescents and young adults.

The majority of the students will be working in Williston after graduation, and many of them are planning to continue their education with a Masters program.

Debra DeWitz, Field Coordinator for the program, says that eight students will graduate this year, which is a phenomenal number.

"This program is a creative way to meet the labor shortage in the Williston area while at the same time giving these students experience in the field and moving them toward graduation with a degree in social work," DeWitz says.

She says that the field itself serves such a broad range of society, and that through this program there are many opportuntities available for students.

One of the challenges in the social work field is that if new social workers aren't trained, there won't be anyone to do this kind of work for society.

"We have to plan for the future of our population," she says.

This summer, each student will be matched with an agency in Williston during their last semester to work with and learn from social workers who are already working in the field. Although their assignments have not been determined yet, DeWitz says that students may potentially be working with the elderly, children, special populations, people with mental health problems, and even at hospitals.

"There is such a wide spectrum of opportunities available for the culmination of their studies, and the students are offering something that is needed in this area," she says.

Anyone interested in participating in a future Williston-based social work program through MSU or learning more can contact Charlene Bruley at 858-3814 or DeWitz at 858-4259.