Ever notice how other people sometimes know us better than we know ourselves?
Ask Wendy Gomez a few years ago what she wanted to do with her life, and she would have confidently answered, “Become a nurse.” At the time, she was working as a certified nursing assistant and attending nursing school at night.
A colleague who worked with her at the nursing home would always shake her head and say, “Wendy, you’re a social worker!” And when she did, the proverbial light bulb appeared over her head.
“It was clear as water that this is what I needed to do, this is where I needed to be,” she explained.
Wendy admits that attending school while working isn’t easy, yet she praises the way Limestone has structured the social work program.
“Limestone pretty much has the whole year planned out. Once classes end, I know exactly what I need to take next and the eight week terms help you stay focused,” she explained.
Wendy moved to the United States from Colombia when she was eight years old, which has given her a unique accent – she jokes that she sounds like a combination of Reba Macintyre and Rosie Perez – and an appreciation for what other people experience.
She’s also not afraid to step out of her comfort zone to help others.
Two years ago she went on a medical missions trip to Uganda. During that trip, she realized just how passionate she was for helping people. “Even if I cannot cure their disease or feed them, I can give clean water and that one experience can help them and change them,” she says.
Currently working in the social work department of a nursing home while finishing her degree at Limestone College, Wendy is open to explore new opportunities once she graduates.
“I enjoy working with the elderly but I am open to wherever the road takes me,” said Wendy. “That’s the beauty of social work, you can do so much with so many different populations.”