Who Am I?
Hello all! If you aren't already aware, my name is Rachel Goldin (yes that is golden with an "i") and I am a senior Social Work major. Last year I transferred here from the University of Arkansas for a myriad of reasons, but a main one being that I was accepted into the Social Work program at OU, which just happens to be a fabulous program. I will graduate next spring with my BSW and will almost immediately step into the accelerated masters program. I will graduate in the spring of 2022 with my Master of Social Work, which will allow me to practice as a social worker. I do plan to pursue my LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, which requires 2-3 years of supervision. At the end of it all, I will be able to practice therapy without working within the confines of an agency, which is my ultimate goal. If you know anything about the enneagram, I am a type 2 with a wing 1, so I think that should tell you something about my personality and may help explain why I want to be a therapist. If you don't know what the enneagram is, I highly recommend taking this quick test because it will tell you so much about your personality and your motivations behind the way you do things. If you're slightly offended by what your type is, you're in the right place.
I am not just my future career or my school though! My pride and joy is my chunky little fur baby named Gladys. I found her in the parking lot of my old church about 2 years ago and the rest is history. Here are some incredible photos of her for your viewing pleasure. As you can see, she is incredible. 
Here she is in all her glory. These photos were taken by me, on my couch.
In addition to pet ownership, I have a few hobbies that I am truly passionate about. I love reading, so much so that I commemorated that love in a tattoo on my right forearm, going to concerts (or listening music in general), cross-stitching, baking, singing the Phantom of the Opera at the top of my lungs, thrifting weird little knick-knacks, and buying exuberant amounts of cheap candles from TJ Maxx. If you have looked at my previous post about my favorite places, I don't believe it will come as a surprise that my favorite books are The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Fahrenheit 451, and many more that I simply cannot list here because of the sheer numbers. My favorite concerts I have ever been to were The Killers, both in St. Louis and at the Amp in Arkansas, a triple concert with Awolnation, AJR, and Judah and the Lion in Tulsa, and a small band called Brother Moses at a random house in Arkansas. Before the pandemic, I tried to go to at least one concert every few months for the health of my soul, but good ole' 'Rona has made that impossible.
I will leave you now with one of my favorite scenes in cinema, and subsequently, one of my favorite quotes of all time. This scene takes place in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Frodo is wounded and being overpowered by the One Ring, the battle rages on and the Fellowship is struggling to get the upper hand, but there is this precious moment that brings it all back into focus. I truly believe it is as relevant to us in this time and day as it was during the darkest times in Middle Earth. Please watch and enjoy, and let Sam's wise words move you.
-Rachel
