For many students, deciding on a college is a lot easier than picking a major. Maya Rivera, a senior from Bangs double-majoring in social work and psychology, knew she wanted to attend Howard Payne University, but it wasn’t until she began taking classes that she started to find her true calling.

After transferring from another college’s nursing program, Rivera started at HPU as a criminal justice major, but she soon decided on changing her major to psychology.

“I took my first psychology class here, and I fell in love with reading case studies, abnormal psychology and the way humans behave based on a psychological perspective,” Rivera said.

However, the semester before Rivera was set to graduate, she discovered another interest that was calling to her. 

“I met Professor [Shantel] Oplotnik, the director of the social work department,” Rivera said. “I also made a friend who was a social work major. I didn’t really know what social work was until I talked with them both. I realized that social work was the helping field I wanted to go into.”

Rivera was excited to find a field where she could not only counsel people but help them find resources and aid their physical needs. So, she added a second major in social work. 

“It’s something that you can also do counseling with, but with social work you can meet the needs of more people, in a way that empowers them,” Rivera said. “It helps them help themselves. I wanted to be able to help people grow in a way where they wouldn’t need me anymore.”

Now, Rivera has an internship at Care Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brownwood. 

“What I enjoy about my internship is talking with the aging population, listening to their stories and being there for them when they have nobody else,” Rivera said. “A lot of people at the nursing home don’t have families to get them a glass of water, cover them with blankets when they are cold or talk to them. Many of them want to have someone to tell their stories to and their advice.”

Rivera added that she truly values the relationships she has created with the patients at her internship. 

“One of the things I look forward to every time I walk in is their faces lighting up when they see me,” she said. “That’s one of the best feelings in the world, because you know that you’ve made a true, trusting relationship with that person.”

Rivera’s favorite thing about HPU has been the Christ-centered environment and the small class sizes. She said she is thankful for the one-on-one time she is able to have with her professors. 

“It has been such a joy and privilege to have Maya in class and internship,” said Ciera Ray, assistant professor of social work and field director. “She has grown so much over the last few years. Maya does not shy away from the critical thinking and personal reflection that it takes to be successful as a social work student, and we are very grateful she is in the program. We cannot wait to see what good works the Lord has prepared for her to step into after graduation.”

Upon graduation, Rivera plans to get her master’s degree in social work at Angelo State University and continue working in social work through the medical field.

For more information about HPU, visit www.hputx.edu.