Student Interview: Noah Hughes-Dunn
How did you become interested/what made you attend the Howard University School of Social Work?
After working for various non-profit organizations focusing on youth empowerment and public health for the better part of a decade I decided it was time to go back to school and take the next step in contributing to collective healing in my community. I considered several different Master’s Degree programs, but ultimately decided on social work because of its emphasis on social justice, and the opportunity it provides to address issues on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, communal, and systemic levels. The prestige of Howard University’s School of Social Work speaks for itself, but ultimately what set it apart for me from other elite institutions was the promise of being educated from The Black Perspective. As social workers we are called upon to unpack our own cultural biases and beliefs so that we can provide the most competent and compassionate care to the people we serve. As a white person who has lived and operated in predominantly white spaces for the majority of my life, I appreciate the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone, and experience what it feels like to be in the minority. I trust that my experience learning from my professors and fellow students at Howard will help me navigate with a more critical lens when assessing and addressing how white supremacy shows up within myself, as well as within the organizations, communities, and government bodies that I interact with. Moreover, graduate school is an immense investment of time, energy, and money, and I feel better about my financial contributions going to Howard as opposed to a predominantly white institution.
What was your most memorable experience?
The first memory that comes to mind is casually bumping into one of my favorite authors, Howard University alumni, Ta-Nehisi Coates, in the halls of the social work building on my way to class. Truthfully though, my entire first year on campus was filled with memorable experiences. Walking through our beautiful, historic campus listening to “Lift Every Voice and Sing” play from the bell tower, I have been continuously reminded how special of an opportunity it is for me to be here. It is a distinct honor and a privilege to now be a part of the same learning community as internationally renowned, inspirational social justice pioneers such as Zora Neal-Hurston, Stokely Carmichael, Elijah Cummings, and Toni Morrison.
What are your plans for the future/how do you plan to use your knowledge gained at HUSSW?
This coming year for my internship I will be honing my clinical skills, while practicing grief counseling at the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing. My intention for the future is to become a trauma-informed somatic therapist who helps people to process grief and heal from trauma, using psychedelic assisted therapy and other proven modalities. My intention is to empower people to live to their fullest potential, and to contribute to the collective healing and liberation of others. I imagine myself co-creating an alternative therapy collective, and working in consortium with other therapists and healers from a diverse array of identities, backgrounds, experiences and expertise. In the future I also intend to co-facilitate and co-host healing retreats for artists, activists, and changemakers, who are serious about decolonizing their hearts and minds, and healing from internalized white supremacy, and patriarchy. In this way, I hope to play an integral role in co-creating spaces and communities where people feel free, joyful, and whole.