How Intensive Weekend MSW Student Nicole Matos-Martiak Found her Calling through Social Work
For Nicole Matos-Martiak, earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree was not simply about advancing her career. It was about strengthening the work she had already dedicated herself to for years.
A recent graduate of Rutgers School of Social Work’s Intensive Weekend Program, Nicole balanced graduate school alongside full-time work, drawing on the program’s flexible structure, supportive faculty, and close-knit cohort as she pursued her professional goals.
Before enrolling at Rutgers, Nicole spent five years working in community-based case management programs serving children and families. Her work brought her directly into homes, shelters, and motels, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges families face and the critical role helping professionals play in supporting them.
“Being on the front lines in the community allowed me to witness the significant impact social workers have,” she said. “I didn’t know at first that the work I was doing would lead me to call myself a social worker.”
Like many entering the profession, Nicole initially viewed social work through a limited lens. “For a long time, I thought most social work involved working with Child Protective Services or providing therapy as a clinician,” she said. That understanding expanded through her current role supporting pregnant women in recovery, work that ultimately helped clarify both her professional identity and future direction.
One experience, in particular, confirmed that social work was where she belonged. While accompanying a client to an ultrasound appointment, Nicole helped her navigate treatment options for opioid use disorder, parenting supports, and other barriers affecting her recovery and future as a parent. “At the end of that visit, it became clear to me that having someone there as support and guidance was crucial,” she said. “That role is what social work is.”
Recognizing she wanted to deepen her impact and gain the credentials necessary to better serve vulnerable populations, Nicole began exploring graduate programs. A conversation with Rutgers faculty member and Intensive Weekend Program Director Dr. Jack Lewis helped affirm her path. “He shared with me that my current work is social work and I was in the right place to explore my decision to make social work my career, not just a job,” she said.
Rutgers’ Intensive Weekend MSW Program offered Nicole something many traditional programs could not: a realistic path forward while maintaining full-time employment and personal responsibilities. The program’s hybrid format combining online coursework with one weekend of in-person classes each month proved essential to her success.
“What really stood out about the Intensive Weekend Program was its structure,” she said. “Having classes one weekend each month close to home, along with online learning, provided the balance many programs don’t have.” That balance made graduate education feel attainable.
“In my previous search for a social work program, I found that many programs required students to stop working full-time,” she said. “That would have been difficult to manage, but the program allowed me to maintain my current job while also providing an internship aligned with my interests.”
Beyond flexibility, Nicole found connection. The cohort model created a strong sense of community among students navigating similar challenges, while faculty with lived experience in the program helped foster understanding and support. “Having professors who had walked the same path was comforting,” she said. “They understood the challenges we faced both in the classroom and personally.”
She credits faculty who brought real-world practice into the classroom, broke down assignments, and encouraged open communication with helping her find a sustainable work-life-school balance. Equally impactful was the mentorship she received during her practicum experience. “Having a mentor at my practicum who assisted me in real time was really an amazing experience,” she said. “That became a key piece in keeping me going in the program and field.”
Now graduating with her MSW and already having passed the licensing exam to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Nicole is looking ahead to the next phase of her career. She hopes to continue serving communities she has been connected to for more than a decade while gaining additional experience toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. “It’s important to me to help these families find their voices and remove some of the barriers that come with life, parenting, and recovery,” she said.
Nicole also hopes the broader profession receives greater recognition for its impact. “I truly hope that the social work profession gets the recognition and support it deserves,” she said. “At the micro, mezzo, or macro level, social workers play a crucial role in supporting communities and creating social change.”
Reflecting on her own experience, she offers incoming Rutgers social work students a message grounded in honesty and encouragement: care for yourself, rely on your support systems, and remember why you started. “Lean on your cohort,” she said. “Reach out to professors. Sometimes we need help, and as we say to our clients, it’s okay to ask for it.”
The journey, she acknowledges, may be demanding, but it is also transformative. “In the end, it will all be worth it,” she said, “because you are going to be the social worker that you hoped to have had, but you became instead.”
