May you get a scholarship to a good university
May you learn in a school which uses Critical Race Theory
May you find professors who care about your well being
May you meet social work professionals who become your friends
May you get mentors who give you wings
May your training empower you to be of service where needed
May you be deemed worthy of the privileges of an intern's bill of rights
May you be protected from humiliation and oppression in your internship
May you receive fair labor wages for every hour you work as an intern
May you be assigned a supervisor who will value and honor you
May you not be made invisible because of the label "intern" applied to you
May your "superiors" not be in denial that interns are a marginalized community
May you survive the implicit and explicit biases against you
May you have realistic expectations about other social workers
May the disappointment by other social workers not cause you resentment
May you be an agent of change starting at your own university
May you get fired up and inspired in classes
May you engage in nourishing dialogue with professors and schoolmates
May you find a refuge from discrimination
May you enjoy a sanctuary free from White Supremacy
May your lived experiences be deemed as valid
May your voice be heard loud and clear
May your feelings be considered as legitimate
May your heart and soul be acknowledged
May you leave your positive mark on the lives you touch
May the hypocrisy in the field not leave you disillusioned
May the double-standards applied to you, not leave scars
May the lack of social justice in the field, not make you quit
May the travails and tribulations of the work not cause you to lose hope
May the pain not leave you drained
May the tears not blur your vision
May the burdens placed on your shoulders not get you burned out
May your sacrifices be never in vain
May you truly be an advocate for change
May you throw a monkey wrench in every system of White Supremacy
May you not become a tool of the systems of oppression
May the lack of ethics by others not extinguish your passion
May you never be made to feel like a nobody
May you be the somebody who advocates for the nobodies
May you never let the bastards get you down
May you find a circle of support where you are loved
May your reduce the gap between knowledge and implementation
May you remain steadfast and resilient in your commitments
May you advocate and educate
May you graduate and celebrate... with honors
May you be fulfilled and enriched by social work
May you serve a higher purpose through your job
May you always take the high road
May you make our world a safer place
