The Online Reflector

Among the students walking at the University of Indianapolis commencement ceremony in May will be wife, mother of four and social work major Sandra Nelson.

Social sciences professor and field coordinator of practicums, Toni Peabody said that she and the faculty are very proud of Nelson.

“You have to be very impressed with her diligence,” Peabody said. “She’s really come a long way. She’s developed mentally, her academic skills have increased and so has her confidence. She’s a good student.”

Nelson moved to Indianapolis in 2001 and joined a life skills class at Fletcher Place Community Center to get her kids into preschool.
Fletcher Place Community Center is a multi-service center located in Fountain Square and is a long-time partner with UIndy.  The center provides volunteer opportunities for UIndy students. Nelson is in many ways a success story for the center.

“I’m a lifetime graduate of their program,” Nelson said. “I found out about college through them. I found out about social work and this school [University of Indianapolis].”

After volunteering with Fletcher Place for three years, Nelson was offered a job there.

“I was training all these college students to do my job,” Nelson said.

That was when Nelson realized that social work was what she wanted to do and that going to college would be the right choice.
Nelson has been a very involved student and a part of the Social Work Association (SWA) since she started going to UIndy. She even held the title of president during the 2007-2008 school year.

Though it’s a struggle raising a family and going to school, Nelson says she is proud of her achievements and glad that she chose to go to school.

Not only does she go to school and raise four children ages between 11 to 12-years-old, she also recently started a non-profit organization called Indianapolis Junior Roller Derby.

“I teach kids to do roller derby for one, but it’s not just the sport,” Nelson said. “I get a bunch of kids who don’t fit under traditional sports. I get the outcasts. I feel like it’s a good outreach, because they don’t feel accepted anywhere else and I’m here to be their coach, help them and not judge them.”

She started the program in October and now has around 30 kids ages seven to 17. She plans on getting speakers in to talk to them about adolescence, keep them on the right track and let them know that college is right for them. She also would like to work with SWA to have a college day for them to spend the day at UIndy and see what college life is like.

Nelson said that social work has always been her passion, even before she knew about it.

“I remember being nine-years-old and riding in the car with my mom. I saw a homeless guy with a sign that said ‘will work for food,’” Nelson said. “I wanted to give him sandwiches from the cooler in the back of our car, but my mom wouldn’t let me. I just bawled forever.”

Nelson plans to work with children in the future.

“I think she can do anything,” Peabody said. “The doors are wide open for her. I’m really proud of her.”