Alfonso Henderson graduated in 2015 with a Political Science degree and a minor in Anthropology and Sociology. Since then, Alfonso received his MSW from Boston College School of Social Work and now works as the Clinical Director at The Dimock Center after starting as a Residential Counselor. In his current role, Alfonso oversees both the programmatic and clinical operations of a residential rehabilitative treatment program, while providing support through coaching and consultations to his staff. His work “ensures that the residents have a safe and secure environment to work on their recovery towards community reintegration.”
During his time at Denison, Alfonso was highly active in DCA. Alfonso “enjoyed being of service to others, learning the personal narratives of the people we’re serving, and having the opportunity to make a small fraction of their days a bit brighter just by treating them as human.” Through these experiences, he discovered his interest in Social and Human Services. During his senior year at Denison, Alfonso decided that he wanted to pursue graduate school. It was not until after completing an Americorps role with City Year, that he changed his focus from working with youth and families within a school setting to being more open to connecting with that population.
While Alfonso knew he was not going into a career directly related to his major, his minor in Anthropology and Sociology helped him consider fields that allowed him “to explore how an individual operates within the context of its environment.” With this foundation, Alfonso was able to apply a clinical perspective by combining his undergraduate and graduate school education which enhanced his understanding of how “external stimuli affect both individuals and communities together as well as separately.” Although his career path was not clear from the beginning, various experiences led to his further success.
Alfonso’s main advice for Denison students and recent alumni is to “take your time to figure out what it is you like, while simultaneously being open to other areas where your skillset can be transferable.” Instead of being locked into one particular path because of what you consider is your strong suit, remember “if you don’t like what you are doing, you won’t be in that job long enough to pay the bills.” Alfonso recently finished a book entitled, “Do What You Love and The Money Will Follow,” and suggests the read if you are interested in reflecting on your “whys.” Most importantly, he recommends “have fun,” because “you have your whole life ahead of you” and “do not need to have it all figured out right now!”
Connect with Alfonso on LinkedIn.
