Rhonda Collier ’25, MSW, Lobbies For Community Change
Rhonda Collier’s ’25, MSW, path to a career in social work wasn’t in her original academic blueprints. Her non-traditional college journey began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic at Ivy Tech Community College, where she initially enrolled in an 18-month addiction studies program. Inspired by her professors, Rhonda later expanded her education to an associate’s degree in human services – and, with more encouragement – a bachelor of social work at Valparaiso University just two weeks after graduation. “I just kept going forward,” Rhonda shares. “My professors have all been incredible with helping me and guiding me into a career that I really, really enjoy.”
When Rhonda first started her social work journey at Valpo, her end goal was to lend her light to others as a substance abuse counselor. Students in Valpo’s social work program have the opportunity to tailor their in-field internship experiences to their professional passions and aspirations. And, as the internships and industry encounters she experienced transformed her perspective on the field, Rhonda began to piece together her calling toward advocacy. The most powerful impact has been the work Rhonda has done for her community alongside Sam Burgett ’21, MSW, LSW, adjunct professor of sociology and criminology and founder of WeAreOne, Incorporated’s Community Change Center. With Professor Burgett, Rhonda has served vulnerable communities at Unity Café and focused on rehabilitation efforts for people recently released from prison.
Rhonda’s current internship at the Porter County Sheriff’s Department involves re-entry initiatives, a cause that has grown particularly important to her. “I’ve been with the re-entry group in Westville, Indiana, for about a year now. I see the barriers that they face coming out of prison. I see the cycle of them coming in, going out, and then coming back in – and not having the resources and people there to help them. It’s really important to me to help break that cycle and to help these individuals get back on their feet and become productive citizens in our society,” she shares. “I’ve enjoyed designing the programs, seeing the policies, and seeing the effect all of those things have. It’s really interesting to me. I never thought that this would be a part of anything I would ever want to do, and I love it.”
This newfound passion took action at the social work program’s annual Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) trip to the Indiana statehouse. Each year, social work students and faculty members make the journey to Indianapolis to advocate for solutions to critical societal issues, speak with legislators, and share empowering stories. “It was incredible,” she says. “I remember being so nervous when they told us we’d be going to the statehouse last year. I didn’t know what to expect and thought this was very out of my wheelhouse.” But any butterflies she may have had disappeared when she realized the impact she and her classmates could have on the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals.
Rhonda and her group of classmates began working on a bill that would advocate for a reinvigorated, cost-effective re-entry program for the state of Indiana that would focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. It’s a goal strategically inspired by Rhonda’s current role in Westville. “The re-entry program I’m working with provides peer mentors to go inside the prison and get to know these individuals. We work to kind of build a rapport with these guys and help them develop skills when they get out – help them find jobs and housing and things like that. The goal is that when they get out, they will reach out to us and we can continue to provide services and support when needed,” she explains. Currently, Indiana’s recidivism costs reach about $88 million annually. Rhonda’s bill, proposing funding for transitional housing and peer mentorship programs, would lower that cost just $700 per person. The impressive plan was picked up by Indiana State Representative Mike Andrade, D-12, who introduced the bill to Indiana’s state legislature in January.
Once at the statehouse for the February LEAD trip, Rhonda felt the spark inside her ignite. “I wasn’t nervous at all. I knew what I was going to say. I knew everything I needed to know about the bill… because I created it,” she says. Although the bill was not voted on, Rhonda personally appealed to Representative Wendy MacNamara, R-76, chair of the House Committee of Courts and Criminal Code, encouraging her to consider the program’s financial benefits. “I got to tell Representative MacNamara that the program this bill is advocating for would only cost $700 per person, as opposed to Indiana’s cost of $214,000 per person to keep these individuals in prison. So I really hope, even from a budget standpoint, she considers that and has a change of heart.”
For Rhonda, the entire experience showed her that every citizen has a voice and can actively make a difference in their communities. As she prepares to enter a master of social work program in the fall, she plans on continuing to illuminate macro fields and police social work. Her experiences and strides toward positive change have shaped her into an empowering advocate and leader, and we have no doubt she will continue to brighten the lives of others – one policy, one person at a time. Launching in the spring of 2026, our new public safety social work certification blends perfectly with Rhonda’s work. This first-in-the-nation program will serve to fill a demonstrated need for public safety social workers across the country. This certification can easily be paired with Valpo’s innovative and flexible master of social work (MSW) program, which offers in-person or hybrid options to fit everyone’s schedule. Prepare to become a passionate leader to serve and practice at the forefront of social change by learning more about our MSW today.