Return to CTK Helps Alumna get Started in her Chosen Career Path

Juqueisha Miller’s path to her dream career in social work included an unexpected return to CTK. A month before graduating from Northern Illinois University in spring 2022, she received a call from Daniel Zundel, then Senior Director of CTK’s Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP), offering her a position at her high school alma mater. After considering the pros and cons, she decided to accept the position as a CWSP Student Support Specialist. Her three years working at CTK have provided her with valuable experience working with students that solidified her commitment to becoming a licensed school social worker, specializing in high school students. While working, she is also pursuing her master’s degree in social work, recently beginning her second year in the two-year program.

During her original stint at CTK, Juqueisha was a busy and focused student committed to being college and career ready. She was a peer minister, cheer manager, VP of Student Council, and VP of National Honor Society. She valued her four years of CWSP business experience at Medulla LLC, which provided support to chiropractic company Chiro 1. As a teenager, it wasn’t easy to work in a professional environment with older, predominantly white co-workers. Going into her sophomore year, she decided to “flip a switch and put herself out there to make a name for herself at work.” With the help of her CTK CWSP Success Coordinator and Medulla Supervisor, she improved her technical, writing, and communication skills and was trusted to take on more meaningful work assignments.

The youngest child in a blended family, Juqueisha benefited from the collective support and encouragement of her stepfather, mother, father, and stepmother. They helped to instill in her the drive to pursue a successful life and career. Her college choice of Northern Illinois University allowed her to stay close to home at a diverse school that would support her academically and culturally. She also earned a scholarship and worked for all four years in the school dining hall, the last two years as a student manager. In part due to her well-rounded business experience at Medulla, she entered NIU as a business management major.  She called her dad (stepfather) after one semester to say she had made a mistake with her choice of major and was encouraged “to do what I should have done in the first place - to follow my passion and do what I love.”  Working to support and advocate for kids and their families was something she had always wanted to do. A social work career would also fit best with her caring, passionate personality. She had “put her primary plan into a backup position” due to her initial concerns about a social worker’s reputation for being overworked and underpaid. NIU didn’t offer a major in social work, so she knew an additional graduate degree would be required. She graduated in 2022 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science, with an emphasis in Social Work.

The adjustment returning to CTK was a significant one for her. “Every time I walked down the hallway, I flashed back to high school. I wanted to earn the respect of both the kids and my former teachers,  now my peers. I wanted my previous teachers to see me as a respected colleague, not 2018 student Juqueisha.” She started on the Corporate Work Study team as a Student Support Specialist, assisting the team and students. She was eventually elevated to the Student & Partner Success Coordinator position. “I’ve been told my greatest strength is building relationships with students and their parents, as well as the work study partners. The hands-on experience at CTK has helped me to be the person I am now, and I hope to be an even better version next year.” Mr. Zundel echoed this assessment, saying, “Juqueisha’s shining moment is in a 1:1 with students.  She can simultaneously meet them where they are and push them to see themselves as she sees them – with loads of God-given potential. “

She expressed her appreciation for the support and opportunities she has received from CTK leaders Tara Sullivan, Katie Olson, and Clem Martin. She reserved special recognition for Daniel Zundel, her mentor since high school, whom she credits with being her greatest supporter and teacher, while always pushing her continued growth. She said, “After finishing my first year, I reflected on what I had given to the students, but realized it was more about what they had given to me – clarity on the population I wanted to work with. I knew I needed to and was ready to go back to school.”

Juqueisha began pursuing her master’s degree in social work full-time, online in August 2024 at Aurora University. She completed the first year of the 2-year program, which consisted of a combination of traditional coursework and 450 hours of supervised job-based work at CTK. Her upcoming second year, called the “Advanced Year”, will include additional coursework with a 600-hour internship working under someone with a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) plus their professional educator’s license. With her intent to continue working with the high school student population, she secured her internship assignment at Harold Richards High School in Oak Lawn. She started 8/18 and will handle assigned student & family caseloads during her three-day work week. Thankfully, she has agreed to continue working part-time at CTK in a new role as an Academic Support Coordinator, providing individual assistance to students in need of academic help for two days a week. She plans to take a social work approach by looking at the students from a holistic standpoint to determine the contributing factors for their academic challenges.

Her schooling is likely to continue to expand her knowledge and open up career opportunities. Next steps may include becoming a licensed school social worker and eventually a licensed clinical social worker. For the time being, she is focused on her career but hopes that marriage and children are in her future. 

Daniel Zundel, now Vice President of College and Career Initiatives, shared some final thoughts on Juqueisha’s bright future as a social worker, saying, “Juqueisha will make for an impactful school social worker.  First, she cares about students and families.  She sees them and aims to be an advocate for their needs.  Second, she embraces self-reflection.  As part of her internship, she remained open to challenges, recognized her own skills, and pushed herself in her areas of growth. Finally, she genuinely has a heart for servant leadership.  She leads by example and takes pride in ensuring her work meets the same high expectations to which she holds her students.”