Makers 2020: Jessica Schulte

My name is Jessica Schulte and I am a social work graduate student at ECU. My collection, titled Growing Pains, is a reflection of growth explored through the study of trees. The series is shaped by the theory that growth is measured by both change and time. Social workers act as agents of change through the application of interventions that contribute to social welfare.In order to identify appropriate intervention strategies, social workers assess clients using a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. Using this framework, social workers analyze the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dynamics of life to achieve a more holistic understanding of the person as a whole. A comprehensive assessment of the client provides the baseline for measuring progress (or growth) and informs the social worker to decide interventions that will contribute to positive change in the client’s lived experience over the course of time. This project applies the biopsychosocial-spiritual approach inwards as a vehicle for self-reflection and exploration of personal development, transformation, and changes that occur throughout the lifespan.

Each of the four pieces represents an area of life analyzed in a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework. The passage of time is signified in the series as each piece represents a time of the day: sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. Each piece is also associated with the four seasons of the year and the four natural elements. The mixed-media collection uses acrylic flow liquid pouring techniques on 2’x2’ boards of drywall. This series was completed from Fall of 2019 to Spring of 2020 during my senior year of undergraduate studies at ECU, marking my graduation with a Bachelor of Social Work degree in May of 2020. I am currently in my last semester of graduate school at ECU and am expected to receive a Master of Social Work degree in May of 2021. Looking back on the collection now, the series is a celebration and documentation of personal and professional growth that I have experienced in my journey so far.