When Robin Arndt was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he met with a social work professor. After a one-hour conversation where Arndt discussed his interests and aspirations, he said he left knowing he was going to be a social worker.
“I gained a mentor from that meeting who would help me navigate my undergraduate experience and shape my professional social work identity,” says Arndt. “I am grateful that I was able to find social work so early in my educational journey and that it has provided me so many opportunities.”
Arndt, MSW, LSW, recently was elected secretary of the NASW national board of directors. He previously was director for Region XII on the board.
“My inspiration for serving on the national board of directors came from my desire to want to help shape the association and the profession,” the Hawaii resident explains. “I felt that being on the board would allow me to push the association forward, help make it more agile and responsive.”
Serving on the board has been an extraordinary experience, says Arndt, who is the coordinator of Field and Continuing Education at the Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi.
“Being part of a group that is committed to seeing social work thrive and the ability to cultivate relationships with other social workers from across the country continues to inspire me to do more, to remain active and be engaged,” he says. Early in his career, however, Arndt admits he struggled with seeing the value of his membership.
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