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If you take a drive just south of Fairbanks, then turn and head out past Moose Mountain ski hill and the surrounding subdivisions, you’ll eventually find yourself climbing up to Murphey Dome. There’s a turn off there to the left, just before you reach the crest. As you drive past it, you may congratulate yourself…

Insights from ‘The Critical Social Worker’ Listening to “The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast,” specifically the episode featuring Abbid Quinn Aziz, taught me a lot about the incredible potential of social work. Aziz’s journey from grassroots advocacy to academic leadership was inspiring, and his humility and dedication to human connection over prestige resonated with me. His approach reminded…

Social work is facing new and persistent challenges that require innovative and transformative solutions in today’s fast-paced world. Traditional approaches, while important, do not always sufficiently address the systemic inequalities that are deeply ingrained in our societal structures. This blog is inspired by Angela Y. Davis’s interpretation of the Serenity Prayer and explores the pressing…

Celie’s Journey of Resilience and Transformation in ‘The Color Purple “I’m poor, black. I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here. I’m here.” The movie “The Color Purple” was directed by Steven Spielberg and is based on a book that won the Pulitzer Prize. The story is set in the South during the…

Slumdog Millionaire is a movie about an orphan, named Jamal Malik, who came from the slums of Mumbai. At 18-years-old, Jamal is acting as a participant on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire”. After using his life experiences to answer each question leading up to it, Jamal makes it to the final…

Human Behavior: Person and Environment – Chapter 10 (pages 334-341) Chapter 10 of our textbook discusses some of the different, more common, challenges to one’s family life. The three challenges discussed are family violence, divorce and relationship dissolution, and substance abuse. Family Violence When you think of your family, or other families, or if you…

At Six month old David Shelton On Stage singing with Brazilian Jazz Artist Sean Blackman. Welcome to My Journey: A Tale of Resilience and Renewal Hey everyone, I’m David Shelton. I’m originally from Toledo, Ohio, but now I’m living in Shungnak, Alaska, and loving it. This blog is my journey through the significant stages of…

(Image obtained from https://images.tandf.co.uk/common/jackets/crclarge/978100319/9781003194842.jpg) Summary of the Book “Anger and Social Work” by Paul Michael Garrett offers a refined examination of the intricate connections between anger and social work practice. Garrett discusses the multifaceted nature of anger, examining its forms, anger triggers, and underlying psychological mechanisms. He expresses that anger can manifest as a response…

In this episode the guests are G Ford, Chris Flores, and Maui Loa. They all met in Hawaii while the host Christian Stettler taught them at the college in Hawaii. G Ford works for a Dialysis Center, more in the nephrology area of social work, in the medical area. He grew up with a tough…

This is the first place to give me a job in Alaska. It was April 2017 when I had my interview with Vickie Rose. Vickie and Brent owned and ran Oil&Vinegar in the 5th Ave Mall. They taught me so many things and showed me kindness that I was not expecting. The reason I chose…

How else can I start my story of life and environment experiences without my parents? These pictures were taken in 1990 (S. Andrews and J. Creed, Authentic Alaska Voices of Its Native Writers) There was a freeze up in Kotzebue, AK where we lived and the temperature was minus 40 degrees at the time. My…

Photos brings us back to a time gone but not forgotten. Memories last a life time with the people we love. Time is not ours to keep so every minute , hours, days and months should be used to make something good out of it. Life’s perspectives are built on persons in environment and person…

A Film Analysis Moonlight (2016) is an Oscar-winning film that follows Chiron, a young boy, through various life stages, highlighting his struggles with family, identity, race, sexuality, and masculinity. This blog explores the film’s unique elements as it relates to the social work profession, and some overall thoughts regarding the main character in question. Chiron…

The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary story telling podcast. On the 48th episode of Professor Christian Stettler’s podcast The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary story telling podcast. Professor Christian invited Alan Dettlaff to share his thoughts and to help educate us on abolitionist principles/perspectives. Quick BIO Alan Dettlaff is a social work professor, author, and…

We All Need Some Sand Sandy Beach, Douglas AK, January 17, 2024 To begin my story, I must start from one of the most impactful places, Juneau, AK – specifically Douglas. This is the famous Sandy Beach! I’ve had many experiences at Sandy Beach, that formed me into who I am today. I started coming…

This is a movie (based on a book) about a young college age woman named Susanna. Susanna grew up in a very wealthy and influent family, the type of family that appears perfect on the outside and will do anything to keep that image up. This movie is based almost entirely on the idea that…

Social Stance and Background General Background, Family History For this blog, I chose to focus on Joe Biden as it relates to social justice, policy and welfare. Given the fact that there has been growing concern in terms of his ability to lead our country, I believe that it is also worthwhile to give this…

The main theme of Parasite is about class conflict, social inequality and wealth disparity between the rich and poor. The film was taken in South Korea. The Kims are the poor family and the Parks are the rich family. In this film, the Kim’s needed to survive and decided, as a family and imposter’s to…

American History X, a dark and intriguing film released in 1998, dives into the complex intersections of race, hatred, and societal redemption in America. Directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong, the film offers a brutal and raw portrayal of the consequences of racism and the possibility of personal transformation. Beyond…