Charlotte Laas and Uliana at school

Hello, my name is Uliana, and I am a refugee from Ukraine. I have been living in Germany for over three years now and attend a vocational college here. As a foreigner, the support options at the college were particularly important to me. I gladly accepted the offers, especially because I still needed to improve my German skills. I would now like to share my experiences with you. I conducted an interview with the social worker who helped me a lot at the vocational college.

Uliana is talking to her biggest supporter today

My social worker is Charlotte Laas, with whom I will today look back on shared experiences and talk about the profession of social worker.

Dear Ms. Laas, please introduce yourself to our readers, the intombi girls.

My name is Charlotte Laas. I am 35 years old and live in Brühl. I am a school social worker at the Goldenes Europakolleg and have been working here since December 2023.

Tell us something about your career.

I graduated from a grammar school here in the Rhein-Erft district and didn’t go straight to university afterward. Instead, I did a few internships, traveled, and then trained as a kindergarten teacher at the Ehrenfeld Vocational College in Cologne. After that, I worked in both daycare centers and in open youth work. After that, I studied special education for a semester to become a teacher. But I stopped that because I realized I wanted to gain a foothold in social work. Then I studied social work at the Cologne University of Technology. Afterward, I worked in various areas of open child and youth work, as well as in residential facilities, in supervised contact, and for an educational provider.

What does your work involve?

My work here as a school social worker involves, on the one hand, traditional school social work. I provide support in all matters that make everyday school life difficult for students. This includes both personal problems and structural requirements. I also handle the transition from school to work and am in contact with internship and training companies. I provide support during the application process. I also work with many network partners and exchange ideas with external advisors, such as those from the Federal Employment Agency, the Youth Migration Service, etc. I also deal with issues related to residency law.

Do you encounter limitations in your work and how do you deal with them?

Yes, the limits you encounter are usually injustices, as well as structural and political boundaries. These are situations where you simply can’t make a difference, and where individual needs can’t play such a significant role. At the same time, a certain degree of student participation is necessary. Without them, it wouldn’t work. Successful work only works together and is best achieved with intrinsic human motivation.

Why did you become a social worker? What attracted you to this profession?

Since I had previously trained as a teacher, I saw that you can work in many different fields, especially in the field of social work. And studying social work opened even more doors for me. What attracted me to it was the opportunity to get to know many different people with different backgrounds, opinions, and approaches to life. This interests me.

In the career-finding process, it is particularly nice when they actually find the right path into the profession and can then start their professional life from there and shape their own life concept.

Can you tell us about your favorite moment from your work?

Yes, but I wouldn’t name a specific moment. My favorite moments here in school social work are definitely the moments when you realize that you’ve empowered students and given them the support they need to help themselves. That is, when they tackle their own problems and, sometimes with a little help, find a solution or insight. In the career-finding process, it’s especially rewarding when they actually find the right career path and can then launch their careers from there, creating their own life plan. I always think that’s fantastic.

What inspires you in your work?

What inspires me about my work is that you first take in everything without judgment and listen to everything, get a lot of new input, and experience and get to know many new approaches and perspectives.

What has changed in your work as a result of the war in Ukraine?

There is a lot of uncertainty, especially among refugees. The question of whether to stay in Germany or whether to return home is a frequent topic. At the same time, there are many personal concerns that students want to discuss. Regarding the transition from school to work, a common topic is which school qualifications they have already completed, what can be recognized, how to successfully return to school, and what they can do after school.

What impressed me most was that, despite all your worries, you knew very clearly where you wanted to go.

What do refugees from Ukraine seek support from you for, and how do they help you? Can you think of an example that particularly stands out in your mind?

Refugees from Ukraine primarily seek advice regarding career choices and often want to take additional language courses, so financing must be arranged. Students who are struggling and traumatized need help finding suitable therapy options. The need for dialogue is great. Most have significant personal concerns related to the war. Your situation is a good example that has stuck in my mind and will surely stay with me.

You came to me for a consultation, and we first looked at how you were doing and what your individual goals, needs, and expectations were. What impressed me most was that, despite all your worries, you had a very clear idea of where you wanted to go. You were then able to secure specialized internships at very prestigious companies quite quickly. So, you haven’t lost sight of your goal, and now you’re following your path here, doing everything you can to eventually work in the media industry or in journalism.

What have you learned from working with refugees?

Through working with refugees, I’ve learned that having grown up here definitely makes you appreciate your privileges even more. I’ve also learned, or rather, it has become even clearer to me, that everyone has their own story, one they don’t know, that influences their actions.

Unsere Autorin Uliana

Hello, my name is Uliana, and I’m 18 years old. I’m from Ukraine and moved to Germany three years ago because of the war. I worked as an intern at intombi every Monday during my last school year. I stayed at intombi afterward and now work as an editor on the intombi team.

How can students support each other? Can you share a story where students helped each other?

It’s especially helpful to speak German together rather than just among ourselves. This reduces any fears about speaking German. Community and solidarity provide strength and support. Sharing experiences is also always helpful, for example, with tips on particularly suitable contact points or approaches. Students should encourage one another and take things as they come.

My tip for readers is to pursue their goals and keep following up, even when it becomes uncomfortable.

Finally, do you have any tips for our readers?

My advice to readers is to pursue your goals and keep pushing, even when it gets uncomfortable. Even if the actual plan is currently larger than what you can accomplish, you should stick with it and not lose sight of the goal. More usually comes along the way.

This conversation with Ms. Laas showed me how important support, openness, and mutual respect are. I am very grateful to have such people by my side. Their help and the experiences I was able to gain at the vocational college give me the courage to continue pursuing my goals and forge my own path.

As a well-known saying goes: “All dreams can come true if we have the courage to follow them.” (Walt Disney)

Have you ever met with a social worker? Tell us in the comments!