LEXINGTON, Ky. – Perseverance, dedication and resilience are three words to describe Leeanne Mager’s journey to the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW). Now a graduate of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program, Mager reflects on the challenges that brought her to the graduation stage at Rupp Arena this past December, betting on herself every step of the way.
Receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology and an associate’s degree in English from Thomas More University in 2022, Mager faced many personal challenges over the course of her academic journey, graduating with a GPA that would make getting accepted into graduate school difficult.
“Following my freshman year, I spent the next four years rebuilding my GPA, but it was hard to bounce back after that first year,” Mager explained. “After I graduated from undergrad, my GPA was low, and I knew I wanted to go back for my master’s degree.”
After being rejected from multiple graduate programs based on her GPA, Mager found the MSW program at the University of Kentucky and the opportunity to petition for extenuating circumstances.
During the application process, Mager wrote an essay describing the challenges she faced during her undergraduate career that affected her GPA. She was able to humanize her experience, demonstrating her dedication to her education was more than just a number.
“UK giving me the opportunity to explain my challenges and understand what I was going through was life changing. I was able to explain my academic journey following my low GPA as a freshman and how I continued to work and grow through the hardships,” Mager said. “The person and the student I was at 18 is not the student and person I am at 25.”
Mager was accepted into the MSW program in the spring of 2022 and officially started classes that summer. From the beginning, her experience at the College of Social Work was a positive one, connecting with her students and professors, and always receiving the help and support she needed as an online student.
Completing the MSW program alongside a full-time job at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Mager was able to apply what she was learning in the classroom to her position as a psychiatric intake coordinator. Once Mager receives her social work license, she will work with the Department of Social Services at Cincinnati Children’s as an all-services medical social worker.
“I’ve learned a lot from the social workers I work with every day while actively learning things in the classroom that I could apply in the field. That has been extremely helpful. I felt like I was learning in the classroom and outside the classroom with these experiences,” Mager said.
Through this hard work and dedication, Mager’s dreams were actualized when she graduated in December 2024, receiving a master’s degree in social work. A lesson in perseverance and always believing in yourself.
“I am so proud of myself. I knew I could do it and I needed a school to take a chance on me and trust that I could do this. I’m so proud to tell people about UK and tell people about the MSW program and the experience that I had,” Mager said.
