First-generation student Jay Tomlinson graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Bachelor of Social Work program and delivered a speech at Portland State's 2022 commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 12, 2022. Jay had not always pictured an achievement like this for themselves, but a desire to serve others led them to PSU and continues to inform their plans for the future.
"I knew for a long time that I just wanted to help the LGBTQ+ community, but I wasn't sure how to go about doing that," said Jay. "It's funny; my first job was at Cracker Barrel, and a coworker and I were discussing possible degree paths when a few guests overheard us. They were social workers, and three of them approached me that night to tell me I should pursue social work. I hadn't even considered that!"
Soon after this encounter, Jay applied to transfer from Portland Community College directly into the PSU Bachelor of Social Work program. They found themselves instantly drawn to how hands-on and versatile the social work curriculum was, but they were still eager to serve the community as soon as possible. This led Jay to their current job at a homeless shelter serving families with kids.
"I really enjoy it! I want to stay at the homeless shelter and climb the ladder," said Tomlinson. "(I want to) get into the more administrative side of things to see how a shelter is run. I hope to one day open a homeless shelter for LGBTQ+ adults in Portland."
This is a goal that Jay plans to achieve in part by furthering their education through the Master of Social Work Advanced Standing program. Regarding an area of focus, Jay said, "I want to focus on the community level; like what can we, as a collective Portland unit do? I just finished my thesis for the Honors College, and I looked into resources available on the mezzo-level here in Portland for LGBTQ+ people living in poverty. I built a resource list intended to tighten up this network."
While Jay manages a busy schedule between school and work, they still find time to explore new hobbies and spend time with those they love. “I live with my mom. She's my best support person in the entire world!” said Jay. “I have two cats, Nacht and Tog, and they are such big personalities! I love textiles, weaving tapestries, and I recently got into embroidery. I also love downtown Portland. I'm originally from Oklahoma, so I like just being downtown and feeling the vibe of the city!"
Although the path to graduation was not always clear, Jay let the calling to serve others guide them; a calling that, for Jay, feels unignorable. "In my speech, I reference a story where I was chatting with a coworker who asked if I thought doing this work could kill me,” said Jay. “I replied, 'I feel like not doing it would kill me faster.' I feel like that's a relatable sentiment—it's hard work to do social work, but we're doing it for a reason."