CT State Housatonic with Kya

Transcript

Let’s meet Kya, a social work student at CT State Housatonic, who found her calling during the pandemic, helping youth in her community. She’s now pursuing case management and runs a small business, which the Werth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has helped make a success. Kya, tell us more about your inspiring journey. Take it away.

– Hey, Alex, thanks for the intro. I found my calling during the pandemic when I saw the youth in my community struggling from a lack of family and home support. That prompted me to enroll in CT State for social work studies. Housatonic has given me a lot of learning opportunities to discover my path. I decided to go into case management after taking a human services skills and methods class. I am also involved in the Human Services Club where we do work in the community such as coat drives and school supply drives. Housatonic also hosted a wellness festival last semester where they had activities that promote overall wellness and local organizations and resources giving information about their services. I was also introduced to the Werth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. One of my passions is the culinary arts and I owned a small business, The Golden Baker, before I started attending Housatonic. After joining the Werth Center, I was able to register my business as an LLC and learn about numerous opportunities. Through the Werth Center, I have been mentored on social media, taxes, branding, and networking. I’ve been in pitch and grant fests where I’ve received over $1,500 in funding. I’ve participated in pop-up shops where I sold my goods at school, and from the exposure I’ve been contracted by pubs and staff for their events. CT State Housatonic has given me new opportunities for my career and for my business. I’m thankful that I can pursue my passion for my business while learning about how I can use social work to improve my community. Thanks for listening to my story, back to you, Alex.

– Kya, thank you for sharing your remarkable story of discovering your passion for social work and entrepreneurship. Your dedication to supporting your community and pursuing your dreams through CT State Housatonic is truly commendable. We look forward to seeing all the great things you will achieve in the future. Thanks again.