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It Started with an Idea: Why Sharing Your Work Matters More Than You Think
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
What does it take to present at a national conference?
According to Dr. Shericka Smith and Antonio Melton, it starts with something surprisingly simple: a desire to share what you've learned.
In this latest SSWAA Conference Conversations podcast episode, host Dr. Emily Shayman sits down with Dr. Shericka Smith and Antonio Melton from Lexington, Kentucky, to discuss their experience preparing to present at the SSWAA National Conference and why stepping forward to share your work can have a lasting impact on both your career and the profession.
For Dr. Smith, this wasn't her first time presenting at the conference. After presenting the previous year, she returned home energized by the conversations she had with school social workers from across the country.
"It really made me come home and tap into our own district," she shared. What followed was a collaborative effort between Dr. Smith and Antonio Melton, a district leader who supports a robust number of school counselors across their district. Together, they developed a presentation exploring how school social workers and school counselors can partner effectively to create what they call the "dream team" for student success.
Their message was simple but powerful: supporting students isn't about competing roles—it's about collaboration.
Throughout the conversation, both presenters emphasized that the overlap between professions can be one of the greatest strengths within a school system. Rather than viewing school counselors and school social workers as separate entities, they challenged attendees to see the possibilities that emerge when professionals work together toward a common goal.
The discussion also offered an honest look behind the scenes of conference presenting.
There were planning meetings.
There were late-night work sessions.
There were passionate debates.
There was plenty of revising and refining.
But there was also excitement.
"It was a lot of work," Dr. Smith admitted. "It was good work."
Antonio echoed the sentiment, describing the process as an investment in something they both deeply believe in.
Perhaps the most inspiring part of the conversation came when they reflected on what it feels like to be surrounded by more than a thousand school social workers who share the same commitment to students and families. For Dr. Smith, it felt like reconnecting with family. For Antonio, attending his first SSWAA conference as a school counseling leader was equally impactful.
"It is really rejuvenating," he shared. "To see so many passionate school social workers who are ready to do whatever needs to be done to make things happen for students."
That spirit of collaboration, learning, and shared purpose is what makes the SSWAA Conference experience so special.
And it is also why SSWAA encourages practitioners, leaders, researchers, and innovators from across the country to consider sharing their work.
Every presentation begins with an idea.
Every workshop begins with a conversation.
Every presenter begins by asking a simple question:
"What if what we've learned could help someone else?"
As we look ahead to the 2027 SSWAA National Conference, we invite school social workers and allied professionals to consider submitting a proposal. Whether you are sharing a successful program, a practical strategy, a research project, a partnership model, or lessons learned through experience, your story may be exactly what another professional needs to hear.
The next great conference session could begin with you.
The School Social Work Association of America is now accepting presentation proposals for the 2027 National School Social Work Conference. Apply here today!
🎧 Listen to the full podcast featuring Dr. Shericka Smith and Antonio Melton on SSWAA's YouTube channel and discover why sharing your work matters more than you think.
This is one episode in a series of episodes recorded at the 2026 SSWAA Annual Conference in Missouri. To see the complete current published episodes, visit our YouTube site here.
