After working as a hair stylist for 14 years, Natalie Kildare knew she had a natural ability to connect with people.

“My clients came in for a haircut, but I was also their therapist,” she says. “I got to know so many of them on a deeply personal level, and they developed a real trust in me.”

While she enjoyed the creative side of hairdressing, Kildare realized she wanted to make a broader, more systemic impact. As a single mother of two boys, she also “needed to get creative” in building a stable career to support her family.

“I realized there were parts of me I still wanted to explore,” she says. “I enjoyed working with people, building relationships, [and] hearing their stories. These experiences pushed me to think about how I could help on a larger scale. That’s when I decided to go back to school.”

Kildare spent two years at a local community college, earning her associate’s degree. But she knew she wanted to continue her education.

“Going into social work just made sense,” she says. “It was already an extension of the work I was doing—listening, supporting, and advocating.”

Going into social work just made sense. It was already an extension of the work I was doing—listening, supporting, and advocating. — BSW Student Natalie Kildare

Encouraged by one of her professors, she looked into the UConn School of Social Work.

“I was happy to see that the BSW program has a small cohort. That felt intentional and personal. I knew I’d get individual attention and support.”

She applied—and anxiously awaited an answer.

“When I received my acceptance letter, I opened it in front of my 12-year-old son,” she recalls. “He got to see his mom reach a major academic goal. This was something that we were able to celebrate together. I hope that that will inspire him in the future and I’m sure it will. And he’ll never forget the moment that his mom got accepted into UConn.”

Now nearing the end of her first semester, Kildare found courses that resonated deeply with her, especially Social Policy and Social Justice.

“As an older adult and a mother, I want to be informed,” she says. “Social Policy gave me a deep understanding of the history behind our systems and why they function the way they do.”

And as a non-traditional student, Kildare also considers herself “the big sister” to her younger classmates.

“Non-traditional students like Natalie enrich our program in profound ways,” says Paula Nieman, assistant professor-in-residence and BSW Program Director. “She draws on her lived experience, her compassion, and her natural ability to connect with people. Those qualities make her not only a successful student, but a future social worker who will have a meaningful impact in the field.”

Looking ahead, Kildare feels empowered by the many paths her degree will open.

“With a social work degree, I have options,” she says. “I can work in hospitals, medical facilities, schools, juvenile detention centers, nonprofits, or even private practice as a therapist,” she says. “This degree gives me the flexibility to find the place where I can make the biggest impact.”