{"id":78434,"date":"2025-10-19T16:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T20:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/?p=78434"},"modified":"2026-05-04T19:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T23:19:44","slug":"using-social-work-for-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/using-social-work-for-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: Using Social Work for Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get to know MSW student <\/span><\/span>Charlotte G. (SSW ’25)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlotte G. delves into her passion for tackling juvenile justice issues through research and policy. In this article, Charlotte outlines her many research projects that bridge the disciplines of social work and law together, with the intention of better understanding the gaps in care for juveniles within the law and how to fill them. Charlotte explains how the skills she is learning through BUSSW\u2019s MSW program will be indispensable to her ultimate goal: becoming an attorney representing juveniles in court.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could you describe your background\u00a0to\u00a0me?\u00a0\u00a0What are your interests outside of work and school?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am originally from Paris, France. My immediate family and I moved to the US when I was\u00a0seven\u00a0years old. I then went to\u00a0undergrad\u00a0at McGill University in Canada where I majored in philosophy and double minored in psychology and sociology.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0always moved around a lot\u00a0and\u00a0most\u00a0of my life has been learning how to adapt to new cultures and places.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0also part of the LGBTQ+ community and have struggled with mental health (ADHD and anxiety),\u00a0which\u00a0has shaped my worldview. I learned that\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important to surround yourself with people who accept you for who you are, not who they–or society–might want you to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside of work and school,\u00a0I really like photography and drawing. I also love horseback riding and baking.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why\u00a0social\u00a0work? What\u00a0drew you to the field, and how did you become interested in becoming\u00a0a social worker?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to go into law school and represent juvenile defendants in court. I joined the MSW program because I fundamentally want to understand what kids go through, [and what] leads them to recidivism, or [what] can lead them to undergo struggles in life that makes them more likely to face incarceration, detention,\u00a0or other DYS and DCF services.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I joined the MSW [program] as a clinical student [in order] to\u00a0get\u00a0firsthand experience working with kids so that I\u00a0can\u00a0understand their outlook,\u00a0what problems they face, and how\u00a0I can\u00a0create policies to address these problems.\u00a0Kids are a vulnerable population, and they often are silenced. Their voices\u00a0aren’t\u00a0given as much care because adults think they might know best, or they might try to say, \u201cOkay, well, this is how developmentally XYZ other children were. I know it has worked for them, and\u00a0I’m\u00a0going to try to apply that for you [too].\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I really believe in a case-by-case basis for kids and working with them.\u00a0I’m\u00a0sure you know,\u00a0you’ve\u00a0been a teenager once. You tell a kid or a teen,\u00a0don’t\u00a0do that, and [it] makes them want to do it 20 times more.\u00a0You\u00a0have to\u00a0work with\u00a0them\u00a0and\u00a0find what the \u2018thing\u2019 is that makes it worth it for them.\u00a0What\u00a0keeps them motivated and\u00a0on the \u201cright path\u201d?\u00a0That’s\u00a0really what I wanted to learn through my MSW.\u00a0My first placement was at a\u00a0kindergarten\u00a0through 12<\/span>th\u00a0<\/span>school, but I worked primarily with seventh through 12<\/span>th<\/span>-grade students. I was able to see firsthand the impact that high turnover rates for teachers\u00a0have\u00a0on students and the impact of gentrification, racism, and lack of opportunity and financial disadvantages that they faced.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s\u00a0your favorite\u00a0memory or experience in your academic career at BUSSW?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think the first semester\u00a0is\u00a0very broad;\u00a0it\u2019s foundational coursework\u00a0and\u00a0hard to gauge. I really liked my policy\u00a0class,\u00a0and I was able to do projects that I found fulfilling and interesting. I gained a lot from just attending lectures and understanding what classes interest me and what classes\u00a0I’m\u00a0maybe\u00a0not\u00a0as passionate about. I think that’s\u00a0kind of what\u00a0your\u00a0first year is for, discovering what your passion is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This semester, I really like\u00a0my research\u00a0and policy class because\u00a0I’m\u00a0able to work on a semester-long project. It is of\u00a0personal interest to me,\u00a0juvenile\u00a0law\u00a0and\u00a0delinquency\u00a0and juvenile rights.\u00a0I’m\u00a0able to learn the course material in a\u00a0way\u00a0that is directly applicable to what I want to do in the future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes social work worthwhile to you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think social work\u00a0never ends.\u00a0I think these\u00a0are skills that everyone needs to learn,\u00a0no matter who they are.\u00a0How\u00a0do you engage with others? How do you show professionalism? How do you remain ethical? How do you show compassion without burning out?\u00a0I think these\u00a0are skills that\u00a0we’re\u00a0taught as social workers. But everyone, no\u00a0matter\u00a0what\u00a0the job, can\u00a0benefit\u00a0from it.\u00a0I think part of our work\u00a0is to learn so we can teach, pass it on, whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0to one client or to a community.\u00a0I think as humans, that’s\u00a0kind of what\u00a0we do. We like to\u00a0share\u00a0with our friends.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think we\u00a0do that with clients,\u00a0too. Like,\u00a0\u201cI see\u00a0you’re\u00a0really trying this. How about we give this other thing a chance?\u201d\u00a0I think social work is\u00a0worth it\u00a0because it teaches you how to adapt and overcome a situation, how to see injustice and fight against it, or how to see someone in need or someone struggling and be there for them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think social work for me\u00a0is\u00a0not really about the program as much as it is about the skills that are being taught and the care that is being shown. I think\u00a0that’s\u00a0the mindset that\u00a0I’m\u00a0going into classes with. These classes are important for who I will\u00a0be\u00a0as\u00a0a professional, but social work\u00a0isn’t\u00a0defined by rigid boundaries.\u00a0It’s\u00a0inherently broad, just in the name alone. Because what\u00a0is being\u00a0social? That depends on culture, that depends\u00a0on\u00a0person to person.\u00a0That’s\u00a0really how\u00a0I view it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What work are you proudest of during your academic career?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My dedication to research is something\u00a0I’m\u00a0very proud\u00a0of. I\u00a0cold\u00a0emailed a lot of law professors at BU\u00a0and pitched them a project. One answered when I asked for funding, and he gave me that funding.\u00a0So,\u00a0I’m\u00a0working with him on that, and\u00a0it’s\u00a0[been] very fulfilling.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The main gist of the project\u00a0is\u00a0that\u00a0we’re\u00a0looking into direct monetary [assistance programs]. [For example], cash\u00a0assistance\u00a0programs for incarcerated people undergoing the reentry process. It\u00a0depends,\u00a0state by state,\u00a0but basically, some\u00a0states give money for\u00a0a\u00a0bus\u00a0ticket, bus\u00a0fare, or they make attending\u00a0court\u00a0very easy\u00a0with transportation. Then, with other states, they leave you to fend for yourself. So,\u00a0there’s\u00a0a lot of recidivism, because if you\u00a0can’t\u00a0pay to go to court and show up for your court date, then you’re breaking your parole. If\u00a0you’re\u00a0breaking parole, then you go back to jail. Especially if you\u00a0can’t\u00a0pay\u00a0fines\u00a0and things like that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With\u00a0the BU law professor,\u00a0I’m\u00a0looking\u00a0into\u00a0what kind of resources there are.\u00a0There are\u00a0some\u00a0public defenders\u2019 offices that have a fund for incarcerated individuals going through reentry. Their public defenders can apply for money for things like Uber,\u00a0professional clothes,\u00a0or basic hygiene products.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0kind\u00a0of looking\u00a0into\u00a0what it is that people need the most, and then how much\u00a0it would\u00a0cost for the state to provide that. We have found from a low scale that it costs more to keep people incarcerated than it would to just give them hygiene supplies.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think\u00a0it’s\u00a0kind of what social work is about, to kind of tie into the\u00a0previous\u00a0question. This is very much from a legal lens;\u00a0I’m\u00a0working with a law professor and doing legal research. But\u00a0I’m\u00a0still applying my care, engagement, and determination to [perform] research into just policies. This has been an ongoing thing [in my academic\u00a0career].\u00a0During my\u00a0undergrad, I did the same thing. I reached out to a law professor who sat as Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill in Canada, who also was a philosophy professor. I told him, \u201cI want to work on a project with you.\u201d\u00a0I did an independent research course with\u00a0him\u00a0and I\u00a0wrote\u00a0a thesis for him on parental moral responsibility in the case of juvenile offenders.\u00a0I\u00a0looked\u00a0into\u00a0whether parents should be held morally accountable for the crimes their children commit,\u00a0which has direct links with current laws, or even school shootings where parents are\u00a0in\u00a0the spotlight often.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0that aspect, I did a second project\u00a0which\u00a0received\u00a0funding through McGill in my last year. It was\u00a0my\u00a0summer research project, [regarding\u00a0whether\u00a0or not]\u00a0we\u00a0should\u00a0mandate diversity quotas on jury panels, and what\u00a0that would\u00a0look like.\u00a0Would that be legally enforceable, to increase representation of minorities on jury panels that are currently mostly white men? It becomes problematic when you force people to fit into boxes or make them\u00a0disclose\u00a0how they\u00a0identify\u00a0to\u00a0meet\u00a0diversity\u00a0quotas. But at the same time, it is\u00a0important\u00a0to make sure that\u00a0the\u00a0panels\u00a0are diverse.\u00a0These research projects,\u00a0I’m\u00a0very proud\u00a0of\u00a0because I give them my all. I think\u00a0it’s\u00a0never too late, and never too early to fight for\u00a0the\u00a0causes you\u00a0believe\u00a0in.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What were your favorite courses, professors and events at BUSSW?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Obviously,\u00a0the law professor\u00a0I’m\u00a0doing research with, kudos to him for [sponsoring me].\u00a0He’s\u00a0new\u00a0to\u00a0BU this year. He\u00a0said to me,\u00a0\u201cI will use my funding for you,\u201d\u00a0even though he could be using it\u00a0for\u00a0a law student, so I really appreciate him. His name is Angelo\u00a0<\/span>Petrigh.\u00a0I think he\u00a0deserves a shout out for taking a leap of faith and trusting in me. He wrote me\u00a0a very nice\u00a0letter of\u00a0recommendation,\u00a0and\u00a0I\u00a0landed\u00a0my advanced year placement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I pitched different projects that were interesting to me within the subjects of law and criminal rights\u00a0and focused on juvenile [issues] to him. He deserves a shout out for that. I emailed\u00a0maybe nine\u00a0or ten [professors],\u00a0and of those nine or ten, I had two or three people answer. Of those two or three, he was the one who was like, \u201cLet’s\u00a0do it.\u00a0Let’s\u00a0work this out.\u201d\u00a0I’m\u00a0now\u00a0working with\u00a0him\u00a0and\u00a0we’re\u00a0looking to get funding for the summer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s\u00a0hard because\u00a0there’s\u00a0not a lot of interdisciplinary funding, and a lot of the law funding is for law students that are research assistants, or for\u00a0undergrads, of which I am not.\u00a0It’s\u00a0really hard, and it does exclude me from a lot of opportunities,\u00a0but\u00a0he’s\u00a0very\u00a0motivated\u00a0and I know\u00a0the dean or the director of the law school research program\u00a0is\u00a0very interested\u00a0in seeing this [interdisciplinary research] happening.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>I think Nina Aronoff\u00a0also deserves a shout out. She has never failed to believe in me. I had her last semester,\u00a0and I have her [again] this semester. We have had many conversations about my personal struggles and things that I need support for, and she has been a consistent source of support.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you looking forward to\u00a0after you graduate? What \ufb01elds are you interested in working in?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think\u00a0I’m\u00a0going to try to go straight to law school. Obviously, I think\u00a0I’ll\u00a0take a short break [from education]\u00a0and\u00a0work for one year as I study for the\u00a0LSAT.\u00a0But\u00a0I think law\u00a0is really my passion and my calling.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout my\u00a0undergrad, I volunteered. I was on six committees, I did five volunteering positions, and with a full load of classes and research, I was\u00a0very determined. I\u00a0don’t\u00a0think\u00a0that’s\u00a0going to change anytime soon.\u00a0I think that we\u00a0need more people in law who have that understanding, and who have that emotional cognition.\u00a0That’s\u00a0not to say lawyers are mean or that\u00a0they’re\u00a0cold. My life has been very much\u00a0impacted\u00a0by amazing lawyers who have been there for me\u00a0time and time again\u00a0by allowing\u00a0me to do\u00a0research, and\u00a0giving\u00a0me\u00a0funding\u00a0to do research that\u00a0I’m\u00a0passionate about.\u00a0But I do think that the field\u00a0is\u00a0hard to make policies when you\u00a0haven’t\u00a0worked firsthand with the impacted populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, what I wanted to spend this master’s on is understanding kids and their environment\u00a0and using that to then work in law.\u00a0I think I\u00a0want to go into law sooner rather than later so that I can make sure that my kids can benefit as much as they can. I\u00a0don’t\u00a0want to have to\u00a0wait\u00a0generations for a change to be made. You\u00a0can’t\u00a0count on other people to make that change. You\u00a0must\u00a0be dedicated and do it right.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is your dream job in\u00a0social work?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to\u00a0represent\u00a0juvenile defendants in court, as a lawyer. But when you work with kids, you never just work\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span><\/i>\u00a0the problems, right? You always\u00a0work\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/span>it. My foundational understanding of therapeutic services will be a lifelong aid. It will forever change how I help kids and how\u00a0I’m\u00a0able to advocate for them. So even if\u00a0I’m\u00a0not a social worker in the proper sense of the word, I will have that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>What is your advice for other MSW students?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stick with it.\u00a0Social work is not easy, and it might not be your\u00a0calling in the way that it\u00a0isn’t\u00a0mine, but what you are learning will\u00a0serve\u00a0you for your whole life. Whether\u00a0that’s\u00a0just figuring out how\u00a0to have\u00a0healthy boundaries and communication for your personal relationships, or whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0when someone comes up to you and says, \u201cI<\/span><\/p>\n

need help.\u201d\u00a0We’re\u00a0all\u00a0human,\u00a0and humans are\u00a0inherently social\u00a0beings,\u00a0[so]\u00a0you\u00a0have to\u00a0learn how to fit in, how to be a good person, how to grow, how to support yourself,\u00a0and develop and support others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think social work\u00a0gives you that skill. It gives you that foundation.\u00a0I think sitting down and also realizing\u00a0when\u00a0[social work is]\u00a0too much for you is very important.\u00a0If\u00a0you’re\u00a0not happy and you dread and regret it, you\u00a0won’t\u00a0be able to make an impact, at least not one that you would\u00a0be\u00a0proud of in the long term.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about Our MSW Program<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlotte G. combines her passion for juvenile justice with a focus on research and policy, exploring how social work and law intersect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25047,"featured_media":78436,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8534,7429],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78434"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25047"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78434"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81530,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78434\/revisions\/81530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}