As a Community Support Team (CST) Professional at Monarch Healthcare, LaLeita Small draws on more than two decades of experience serving individuals, youth and families navigating mental health challenges, poverty, trauma and major life transitions. Her career has included roles in ministry, community outreach, case management, behavioral health services and advocacy. Yet throughout those years, one goal remained unfinished: earning a Master of Social Work degree.
This Spring, Small completed that goal and was the first Monarch Healthcare employee to graduate through the Supporting Opportunities for Advancement and Retention (SOAR) program and the first to earn a degree with support from the Peggy S. Terhune Employee Education Fund. SOAR helps employees pursue educational and professional growth opportunities while continuing to build their careers at Monarch Healthcare. The Employee Education Fund provides financial assistance for eligible educational programs. Through these initiatives, Small’s final year of tuition at Johnson C. Smith University was fully covered, allowing her to complete her Master of Social Work degree while continuing to work full time. She also completed hundreds of required internship hours at Monarch Healthcare while balancing graduate studies, ministry responsibilities and her professional role.
Like many working professionals, Small’s path to graduate school was not linear. Family responsibilities, work commitments and other life circumstances delayed her plans at various points over the years, but the goal remained a priority throughout her career. Earning her degree required years of planning, persistence and careful time management. Alongside her professional responsibilities, Small completed graduate coursework, fulfilled field placement requirements and maintained a rigorous academic schedule.
One of the achievements she is most proud of is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. During her time at Johnson C. Smith University, she also served on the university’s chapter of the National Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work. Maintaining that level of academic performance while working full time required discipline and consistency.
“There were many nights when I balanced client needs, coursework, ministry responsibilities and family obligations,” Small said. “Yet I remained determined to give my best effort.”
Small said one of the most meaningful aspects of her graduate experience was seeing how quickly classroom learning translated into her professional work. Today, Small brings both extensive experience and new clinical knowledge to her work serving individuals and families. She sees her degree not as the end of a journey but as another step in her ongoing commitment to service.
“Everything I learned in the classroom had immediate application in my work,” Small said. “It strengthened my ability to advocate for clients, navigate systems of care and provide person-centered support.”
As she reflects on earning her MSW, Small hopes her story resonates with others who may be considering returning to school later in life.
“This achievement is a testament to patience, perseverance and determination,” she said. “It is never too late to invest in your purpose and calling.”