GALLOWAY, N.J. — On Tuesday, October 6, Stockton’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SOBL) hosted a career panel for young aspiring professionals who identify as LGBTQ+. The event occurred in the Board of Trustees room in Main campus, between 4:30 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. and was led by assistant Psychology professor Colleen Kase.

Kase invited multiple colleagues who work in queer health and queer social work; Assistant Professor of Social Work and licensed social worker Zan Haggerty; Casey Benchimal, a senior lecturer at Penn School of Nursing and nurse practitioner in Philadelphia; and Dina Castillo, who specializes in queer social work and supervises non-profit organization HOPE Center. The final panelist, Dana O’Mara, could not attend.

Kase collected a series of questions relating to education and entering the social workforce, in which the panelists shared their experiences and how they navigated the world to get where they are today.

The panelists began describing their educational journeys and how they realized where they wanted to be. While Haggerty felt they were drawn to queer social work, the rest of the panelists felt as though they fell into their field, letting their curiosity and previous experiences guide them while figuring out the steps of their life. “Don’t be scared to go the wrong route,” Haggerty added, encouraging students to explore new things and have fresh experiences.

When asked about their stances on gender affirming care, Castillo exercised the importance of having a queer perspective in every industry, that it would create a more welcoming world for everyone, which all panelists agreed on. Benchimal also noted that being kind and understanding to your clients is very important in that regard.

When it was the students’ turn to ask questions, the first question to come up was how to find work with limited work experience. Castillo immediately responded with the importance of networking and feeling comfortable speaking in public, another statement the whole panel agreed on. Professor Kase informed the students that Stockton’s LGBTQ+ Youth Space Space Initiative, or Kaleidoscope, took students in as interns for an easy entrance into the queer social workforce.

Another question students had was how to fight for queer representation in non-queer workspaces. Kase and Haggerty, as well as Castillo, highlighted how to meet your management on their terms, like speaking in terms of financial viability or that it would create a supportive work environment. Benchimal added onto that by pointing out collective action, or getting multiple coworkers on your side, is a very effective method.

One student asked the panelists about their hardships, and the hard life lessons they’ve learnt throughout the years. Castillo and Kase brought up how important it is to follow your instincts, even if it means bending the rules. While Haggerty agreed, they also wished to emphasize the difference between laws and rules, since breaking laws can have drastically dire consequences. Benchimal added that boundaries and rules for yourself are also important in creating a safe space for everyone.