Great Grads 2025: Sha’Monique Smith
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Sha’Monique Smith didn’t just earn her Master of Social Work degree for herself; she did it for her 10-year-old son.
“My claim to fame is not mine but more like my son’s,” she explained. “I was just blessed to be the one raising him. This degree is as much his as it is mine. He actively participated in my classes and motivated me on some difficult days.”
And there were many difficult days for Smith on the road to her degree. She has Crohn’s Colitis, an autoimmune disease which causes intense pain and inflammation in the large intestine.
“Some of my flares were tolerable, but others had me on the brink of tears. I know for certain that I visited the hospital at least once on my journey to commencement,” she said.
But beyond physical pain, there has also been the emotional pain of loss. Smith lost her father just days before she started her degree program, and just as she was preparing to get her degree, she lost a childhood friend.
“Honestly the first semester was a blur,” she said. “I started this journey with tragedy and concluded the process with a tragedy, but I know they both would want me to celebrate and not be sad. There have been several health scares, but I am still standing, and that has to count for something.”
Smith has done more than stand at JCSU; she has made some great achievements. She maintained a 3.9 GPA while working, interning and being a single parent. She is also a member of Phi Alpha Honor Society, the American honor society for social work students.
She has also had the opportunity to tell her story to legislators who want to work with her to create more options for people with autoimmune diseases, saying that she was excited to work with influential people who care.
Looking back on what she has accomplished and what she has lost, Smith has learned she can let people in to help. She cites her dad as her biggest supporter, but losing him enabled her to be vulnerable with her classmates in the MSW program to establish an extended family whom she credits with her success in the program.
“I know for certain I could not have made it alone. I also learned to take a chance and put my ideas out there because you never know who needs to hear your story,” she said. “I am grateful to my professors who pushed me out of my comfort zone. I am grateful that I trusted the process and saw this all the way through.”
After graduation, Smith plans on applying to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate, a clinical license for social workers who are working towards full Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensure but haven’t yet met the required experience hours.
She intends to continue to bring visibility and awareness to autoimmune diseases, communicating with influencers who can make a difference and supporting the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation. Smith will participate in her first Crohn’s Colitis Walk in June. She said that she is interested in helping to talk about medical disparities for Black women in the healthcare system.
As far as her long-term goals, Smith said that she may pursue a doctorate, but ideally, she would like to open an agency where she can work in her community to allow people to access necessary mental health help, creating safe spaces for veterans and bringing awareness to autoimmune issues that are not discussed.