Social work education and practicum lead to life‑changing client outcomes

At the local nonprofit Ayuda, one client came to Evelyn Carcamo overwhelmed. With limited access to food and no clear way to get health care, he wasn't sure how to provide for his family.

Carcamo, a social work student at George Mason University's College of Public Health, helped him sort through his options. She connected him to food assistance and walked him through applying for Medicaid, linking him to medical and mental health services.

Over time, she saw a shift in the way he engaged. "He became more confident, more comfortable asking questions, and more involved in planning next steps for himself," she said.

Carcamo is completing her practicum at Ayuda as part of her bachelor's degree program at George Mason, conducting intakes and needs assessments for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and other crimes. Many of her clients are immigrants and refugees navigating systems that feel unfamiliar and intimidating to them.

"They're high-need clients," she said. "But it's very rewarding."

It's work she recognizes on a personal level. Carcamo grew up watching her parents, who came to the United States from El Salvador before she was born, teach themselves English and wade through resources without guidance.

In May, Carcamo will graduate as a first-generation college student. She wants to continue her work serving immigrant and underserved communities as a clinical social worker, with plans to start George Mason's master of social work program next fall.

Shifting goals

For Carcamo, a career in social work marks a shift years in the making.

Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, Carcamo never saw higher education as a given. High school graduation was the milestone. After earning her diploma, she went straight into the workforce as a medical assistant and, at 25, gave birth to her son.

For three years at Mason and Partners Clinic, Carcamo served as an interpreter for largely uninsured, Spanish-speaking patients. Many of them revealed more than their symptoms.

"People would tell me their whole story," she said. "And then they'd leave, and I'd still think about them, like, 'Oh, I wonder if they got that resource they needed.'"

Moments like that changed how she thought about helping people. "That's how I started to realize I wanted to do something beyond medical," she said. "I wanted to make a difference in another way."

At the same time, she'd hit a ceiling in her career. "I realized I had to go back to school or I wasn't going to move forward," she said.

Carcamo first enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College, then transferred to George Mason University through the ADVANCE Program.

"As a medical assistant, I was very task-focused and centered on immediate physical needs," Carcamo said. "Now, I take a more holistic and trauma-informed approach. I spend more time listening, building trust, and understanding each client's lived experience. This shift has made my work feel more meaningful and more connected to the people I serve."

Her coursework at George Mason has helped her appreciate more fully what her clients are up against. "They're not just dealing with individual challenges, but also bigger systemic issues like language access, immigration concerns, and financial stress," she said.

Finding her place

While raising her son, now 9 years old, on her own., Carcamo has earned Dean's List recognition and received the Rose Rago Braddock Endowed Scholarship, awarded based on merit and financial need.

"It's been overwhelming sometimes," she said. "I have to make sure my job is flexible. I have to make sure I get my assignments turned in on time. I have to make sure I make it to practicum and get my hours. I have to be at my son's events and make sure he's well taken care of."

She's steadied herself by focusing on the long view. "It's just temporary," she would repeat. "The finish line is almost there."

After six years of balancing work, parenting, and school at George Mason, Carcamo is now just weeks away from graduating. And her younger sister, now at Virginia Commonwealth University, is also hoping to pursue social work, following a path Carcamo helped clear.

"I always tell her, get it done now," Carcamo said. "It will be so much easier than what I did. If I can show her it's possible, that means everything to me."