Students beginning their studies in the University of Wyoming Division of Social Work are immediately encouraged to embrace career goals that include creating positive change in society and promoting the health and well-being of individuals, families, organizations and communities throughout Wyoming and beyond.
For Belle Fourche, S.D., native Tea Hill, the pursuit of a second course of study added depth and a layer of human understanding that helped form a distinct career path. Hill is set to graduate this spring from the UW College of Health Sciences with a Bachelor of Social Work and a minor in disability studies, offered through the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND).
“We saw the need within the disability community — the need to be heard and respected within the labor force,” Hill says. “Our mission is to create a fun and meaningful business environment that allows for people, both disabled and nondisabled, to gain independence in the way they desire.”
With plans to officially open Torch Creamery in her hometown of Belle Fourche this coming June, Hill is excited about the benefits to both employees and customers.
“It is a symbol of inclusion and hope for those with intellectual disabilities,” Hill says. “It is a movement to include them within the larger community and to acknowledge and appreciate all. My sister and I are honored to represent such a movement.”
Hill credits everyone in the UW Division of Social Work, including her classmates, for supporting her entrepreneurial goals.
Hill also credits support from her faculty in her disability studies minor through WIND, saying it caused her to look at accessibility in a whole new light.
