Brittany Watson, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) alum, has always been deeply committed to assisting families, with a particular emphasis on supporting new parents and their infants. However, finding a specialization that enabled her to pursue her passion wasn’t a straightforward process.
In 2013, Watson earned a B.S. in psychology and a B.S. in health, physical education, and exercise science and started working in chronic disease management, physical education and health education. When she realized she wanted to work with families and children, she started taking nursing classes (while continuing to work full-time). She soon realized that nursing wasn’t the right path for her. “I basically had to reroute everything,” she explains. “Nursing was where I really thought I was supposed to be because I wanted to work with babies.”
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Bridging Two Worlds: Doula Work and Social Work
In 2018, Watson accepted a role that put her in regular contact with social workers. The experience led her to enroll in the VCU Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) online format. At the same time, she began doula training.
Watson was initially apprehensive about the lack of representation in the doula profession. “It took me a long time to find someone who looked like me” she says. However, she also recognized that her M.S.W. degree, combined with her doula training, could enable her to address disparities in the healthcare industry and maternal health outcomes for underrepresented populations.
Furthermore, as Watson pursued her online master’s degree and doula training, she realized that the two fields intersect. As a doula and social worker, she would be uniquely positioned to support overwhelmed new parents and their children.
Consequently, Watson focused her M.S.W. research project on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, specifically investigating the challenges facing fathers as they support their partners who have given birth and experienced postpartum depression. This research played a vital role in helping Watson set up her business after graduation. Today, she supports mothers during pregnancy and birth while also providing mental health services to families.
The Impact of VCU on Brittany’s Path
Watson enrolled in the VCU M.S.W. online format in 2019 as a full-time student. When the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic required her to increase her public health emergency work hours, it became impossible for her to continue pursuing her M.S.W. full-time. She worked with her advisers in the M.S.W. Program to transition to part-time study.
In 2021, after a family emergency re-shifted her priorities, Watson quit her job and devoted her time to finishing her degree. As she explains, “I really had to take that leap and, with the support of my family, everybody was like, ‘Go for it. You have to jump out on faith sometimes.’” In August 2021, she moved back to Richmond, living near campus to take advantage of the resources offered at VCU. Faculty and staff support and flexibility helped her navigate this difficult time in her personal life.
Gratitude for the Journey
Watson’s journey to her dream career wasn’t straightforward, but she’s grateful for the opportunity to keep pursuing her goals and the support she received from VCU. “It’s been a lot of bouncing around,” Watson says. “But I’m here now, and I realized this was where I belonged the whole time; I just need to be redirected a couple of different ways in order to find it.”
Her life struggles have made her more effective and empathetic in her work. She explains it this way: “As I started getting more into birth work and realizing how strenuous it was on me with trying to juggle so many other things, I realized that I am a support for the families that I interact with,” Watson says. “So I just started thinking about it like, ‘If I’m overwhelmed sometimes with supporting families, along with working on my own things, I can only imagine how the family must feel.’”
A Story That Inspires Future Social Workers
Watson’s story offers an excellent example of how determination to find your perfect career path can pay off. She wants other VCU students to know they can do the same. “Stay the course,” she says. “A redirection is not a failure; it’s just rerouting you into what your purpose is. And I’m thankful for those reroutes because, without them, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now.”
VCU’s M.S.W. online format prepares the next generation of social workers with the skills and expertise needed to work in mental health, substance use, health care and aging so they can help individuals and families live better lives. The program’s emphasis on cultural competence prepares graduates to be effective across diverse communities and populations. If you want a career dedicated to driving meaningful change, consider earning your master’s degree in social work.
To learn more about the VCU M.S.W. online format, explore the program site or connect with an enrollment advisor.