Meet Our Students – Julia Packer (Dec ’16)

Julia Packer (Dec '16).

Julia Packer (Dec ’16) is pursuing an MSW (Clinical concentration) and MPH (Health Promotion and Behavior concentration).  She earned a Bachelors in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Consumer Economics from the University of Georgia in May 2014.

Ms. Packer is interested in working with at risk youth, foster children, and children who are victims of abuse.  Upon graduation, she has interest in working with children who have been abused, in hospital social work, forensic interviewing, or counseling at risk children.  She also hopes to continue working with foster children, perhaps even starting her own non-profit organization.  Ms. Packer notes, “The possibilities are endless with the dual degree!”

Over the summer, Ms. Packer is interning at Promise686 in Berkeley Lake, Georgia, a non-profit organization that partners with churches to recruit foster families in hopes of eliminating the foster care crisis in Georgia and provides grants to families seeking to adopt.  At Promise686, she assists with grant writing, trainings, and planning a big summer event.

This past spring semester, Ms. Packer completed her foundation social work placement at Feminist Women’s Health Center in Atlanta where she practiced macro level social work and community outreach.  She taught college students about safe sex practices, attended festivals to share information about the organization, and attended many public health and non-profit fairs at various Atlanta-based universities.  Ms. Packer describes the placement as “a great combination of public health and social work by bringing awareness to important topics in both fields, with both MSWs and MPHs working together at the organization.” 

Ms. Packer volunteers in Athens delivering meals to a foster family through Chosen for Life Ministries, as a crisis hotline volunteer at The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center, and as an advisory board member of Covenant Care Services, a local adoption agency.  She is also pursuing training to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for a foster child through the Athens-Oconee CASA Program.

On why she chose the MSW MPH dual degree, Ms. Packer notes, “I chose the dual degree program to expand my career opportunities, and I love that I get exposure to so many issues from different perspectives!”

Visit Ms. Packer’s LinkedIn profile.