Sebastian Calderon knew in the back of his mind that he wanted to become a therapist, but he did not take a direct path to realize that dream.
“I didn’t want to go back to school,” he said. “After I got my bachelor’s degree, I had a plan to take one year off of school and go get some experience. That’s when the pandemic hit.
“I got a job in healthcare, where I found my love of social work. I thought I wanted to go back to school to be a nurse. The universe aligned.”
Instead, Calderon graduated from Boise State University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) Online in December 2024. He is a counselor at Bright Beginnings Counseling in Burley, Idaho, near his hometown of Heyburn.
“I always worried that when I finished school and got my license that it would be a slow start-up,” he said. “Right now, I have a full schedule, a full caseload. I have the flexibility to pick my caseload.
“I’m busy from 8 to 5, some days longer, by choice. A lot of people undervalue social workers, who fill in a lot of different roles and a lack of resources in a lot of different places — especially rural areas.”
In a short amount of time on the job, Calderon has seen the impact he and his colleagues make on bettering their communities.
“Our agency works specifically with mental health and substance abuse counseling, which is common to a lot of social workers,” he said. “The added benefit to being a social worker is we work a lot with probation, whether it’s felony, misdemeanor or juvenile.
“We sit in on drug court programs and meet with judges, probation officers and law enforcement and practice advocacy in that way. Most people don’t think of a therapist for this population as an advocate, but it’s quite nice being able to create a game plan to help these people be successful.”
Serendipity strikes
After high school, Calderon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Idaho in 2020.
“I thought I wanted to be a nurse because I saw the need for it during the pandemic,” he said. “Being a therapist is my calling. This opportunity fell into my lap. One of the nice things about Boise State’s MSW Online program is you have to do a practicum or an internship.
“Because of the flexibility of doing the degree online, I found an internship site near me, instead of having to travel to Twin Falls, Pocatello or farther away from me. I could stay where I was with my family, where I grew up, in the community I want to be in.”
Calderon landed a full-time position at the agency where he did his internship for the program. Bright Beginnings offered him the job one month into his practicum.
“I love what I do,” he said. “The nice thing with social work is if I ever want to change, there’s that opportunity. I could work in a hospital ER. I could work as a mental health coordinator for a police department. I can pick up and say, ‘I want to try this out.’”
Diagnosing is the most applicable course in the MSW Online curriculum to Calderon’s fledgling counseling career.
“Diagnosing is a big topic when dealing with any kind of social work,” he said. “Obviously, as a therapist working in the mental health and substance abuse field, diagnosing is so important to understand people and their struggles.
“It was a hard class, but it’s the one I found most fulfilling. Research, in general, was the most beneficial because we are an evidence-based practice. We are constantly doing research.”
Another aspect of his career that Calderon especially enjoys is making sure that residents of the area where he grew up have access to counseling nearby.
“The biggest thing is if we weren’t here in these positions, people would be traveling from 45 minutes to two hours to get these services because it’s such a rural area,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being accessible, and that we’re constantly striving to grow our knowledge base to provide even more services.”
Making a difference
Calderon put the finishing touches on the master’s degree by attending the program’s commencement ceremony.
“It was fun,” he said. “We joked about how we’ve all seen each other on Zoom calls, but we had never seen each other in person. It was a unique experience.
“We were all there for the same reason, playing a huge role in our communities going forward. It was about the implications for the future. It was a cool experience.”
As he continues to learn more on the job, Calderon hopes to continue to use the knowledge he gained in the MSW Online.
“The nice thing about social work is it’s like an umbrella,” he said. “You’re going to learn everything in school — advocacy work, nonprofit work, research, intervention, diagnoses.
“Once you’re out of school as a social worker, you have the freedom to pursue what spoke to you. We can fill in as many roles as where we’re needed.”
An avid reader, Calderon believes that being open-minded and comfortable in the uncomfortable is the key to success as an online student.
“There is so much that this program does to challenge you in a healthy, positive way in growth, to open your mind to opportunities, to populations, to fields you never thought you’d want to be in,” he said. “Then, you love it. I never thought I wanted to be in substance counseling. Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We learn, and we grow.”
Calderon’s parents and other loved ones are proud of him for becoming the first person in his family to earn a graduate degree.
“They were excited but also nervous about me navigating the program and college, in general,” he said. “Boise State was so easy to navigate. That worry went away pretty quick. This was the last step for me, and Boise State made it very easy to take it.”
Learn more about the social work program
Earning a Master of Social Work Online from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.