Name: Briana Beaudoin
Major: Social Work
- Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Briana Beaudoin and I was born and raised in Roswell, NM. I have four brothers and one sister, and was born to Lupe Mary Hodge (who has now sadly passed away) and Ray Wayne Hodge. Today, I am married to Zachary Beaudoin, who is an air traffic controller in the Air Force, and together we live in Clovis, New Mexico with our one year old daughter, Georgia. I enjoy reading, plannering, binge watching Netflix, and recently I am obsessed with the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Since August, I have been an intern at the Curry County Children, Youth, and Families Department. I have been assigned to the permanency planning unit, which handles case plans and referrals to services for parents whose children are in foster care. I have loved being in the permanency planning unit at CYFD because it allows me to interact with parents going through a very hard time and help them any way I can. - What are your plans post-graduation?
Last year, I applied for and received the Title IV-E stipend, which allows social work students to receive stipend money while completing an internship with CYFD, and then enter an entry level position at CYFD upon graduation. Post-graduation, I will be matched with a job in a CYFD office (hopefully the Curry County office!) for the next eighteen months. - Do you plan on going to grad school? If so, where? And to study what?
I plan on taking one year off from school and then applying for the grad program at NMSU to pursue a masters degree in social work. - What is your dream job? Why?
My dream job has always been to be a social worker in protective services. I grew up in poverty and suffered many of the same issues that the children I’ve seen in CYFD have faced, and thanks to the support of others I have been able to overcome this and accomplish amazing things. I hope to become a support system for the children I work with and really I hope to improve the lives of the children and their parents in any way possible. - What is one thing that you’ve learned from the university?
While attending Eastern, I have learned confidence and become more outgoing. Thanks to my on-campus involvement in things like Chi Omega, Up Til Dawn, Eastern in Action, and Dawg Days, I have had so many opportunities to talk to other students and make connections that I did not know how to make before I came here. - What is some advice that you would give upcoming students? Apply for all of the scholarships! I could have never paid for school had I not applied for everything, even the things I didn’t think I would get. I applied for every single scholarship that I could as a high school senior, and although I did not think I would, I received the Green and Silver Presidential Scholarship, which paid for my entire education! My point is, you never know what you could get if you just try. I would also say to lean on your campus community when you need support. When I was pregnant with my daughter, working part time, and was still a full time student, I would not have been able to keep up if my professors and my bosses at the UCC (Clark Elswick and Gretchen Leigh) weren’t so understanding and patient with me. The same goes for all the days I spent sleep deprived with a newborn baby.
- Who was your favorite professor at ENMU? Why?
My favorite professor at ENMU was Deborah Chavez in the social work department. Mrs. Chavez has given me so much guidance and reassurance throughout my time in the social work program, and she gives me the confidence of knowing that I am going to be a great social worker. I can never thank her enough for all of her faith in me. - What’s your best memory at ENMU?
The best memory I have from ENMU was being initiated into Chi Omega. I absolutely loved being in Chi O and my initiation day was full of so much love and positivity, it was just the best day ever. - Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Five years from now I see myself living in a bigger city with my husband and my daughter, working as a protective services social worker. Hopefully by then I will have a masters degree as well!
