I got the opportunity of a lifetime of graduating with my Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from the illustrious Florida A&M University (FAMU) Social Work Department. I came to the Department from my home country, Jamaica, approximately six weeks in for fall 2017 and was extremely excited for the opportunity that was ahead of me. The Faculty and Staff immediately rallied around me to ensure that I was fully equipped by assisting with materials I had missed and having individualized sessions so that I was able to successfully complete my first semester. One of the Faculty members that made a huge impact on me even choosing FAMU was Dr. Gail Augustine because her focus was on women’s health as well as the merge between educational leadership, which I also had an interest in. As destiny and God would have it, she was one of the first professors I got introduced to by my advisor when I had arrived. Unknowingly, that would have been the start of a tremendous experience professionally and academically with Dr. Augustine.
Throughout my academic tenure as a graduate student I was awarded fellowships and assistantships. Being a graduate assistant with the department I was assigned to the MSW Program Director (Dr. Gail Augustine). In this capacity, I was able to develop skills I never knew I had such as creating flyers and brochures. I was also given opportunities to present my research proposals at department events, recruiting students for the program, making presentation to my fellow peers and undergraduates about research, the American Psychological Association (APA) style of writing and professional etiquette. All of which I was coerced to do by the influential Dr. Gail Augustine. She saw something in me that I could not see in myself and she ensured that I was maximizing my full potential.
Even though the experiences were great academically and professionally, I had encountered several personal obstacles that led to me wanting to give up because I thought this was not for me, if I was experiencing roadblocks after roadblocks. It was in this phase of my tenure that I was constantly motivated and checked upon by Dr. Augustine who even after I graduated would be my mentor. She was instrumental in me pushing myself to the limit, to overcoming my feelings of defeat and inadequacy. She listened to many stories and saw many tears. She would instill her words of wisdom that would make me feel like I could conquer the world in just one go and she reminded me to keep my head lifted high as I would be walking across the stage sooner than I thought. I was placed in professional situations that would change my self-concept and that would remind me that I could be all I wanted to be because I had it in me. I was always guided by Dr. Augustine to do what was best for me academically, professionally, and personally.
I am going to close this testimonial by saying that Dr. Gail Augustine is the wind beneath my wings academically, professionally and personally. Attending FAMU to gain my MSW was difficult but I made a connection of a lifetime because the exposure and experience will be entrenched in my memory forever and will be a concrete foundation for my professional, academic and personal journey to my desired destination.
~ Michaé Cain Ph.D. Student 2020