Meet Andy Reynolds. He teaches social work at Malone University

Andy Reynolds moved to Canton in the summer of 2019 to teach at Malone University. Today, he is an associate professor, social work program director, and department chair of social work at Malone.

“It was a natural move for me because Malone is my wife's alma mater and I believe in the important role that a liberal arts Christian higher education plays in developing mission-minded and ethical helpers," he said.

He graduated from West Jessamine High School in Kentucky, and later received a bachelor's degree in Christian ministries and master's in social work from Asbury University. He completed his doctorate in social work from the University of Kentucky.

Reynolds is married to Faith, and they have two boys: Eli and Sam. They also have a beta fish named Jack.

5 questions with Rob Steinberg: Parks director in Plain Township

How did you become interested in social and family work?

I am not just an educator, but I'm also a practicing psychotherapist through my social work license. Doing both helps me keep sharp in both.

How did I know I wanted to pursue social work? I knew that I felt best used when put in a position to listen and care about others' big questions related to life, and it honestly feels like a sacred privilege to be a part of people's work toward wholeness.

Obviously, not every person's therapeutic story is upwardly improving, but it is sobering for me to have a front seat to a journey of growth that might not look the way they, or I, had expected. Even though I'm not a therapist to my students, I still get this kind of front row seat to their vocational journey toward becoming ethical helpers in social work, and it's very rewarding.

Malone University was awarded an $860,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Education to help students. Explain how the grant will be used.

The Great Minds grant that Malone was awarded is a tremendous way to help universities increase the number of helpers in the behavioral health workforce.

Those who hold an associate degree will be eligible to complete Malone’s social work program in two years — fully online or in person — with the cost of their first five classes covered in full. This will allow them to complete their bachelor’s degree at a significantly reduced rate while they prepare to gain their social work license.

Why is the grant so important?

The grant is significant in that it can help many prospective students toward taking that next step to become mental health professionals. I can sympathize with what it might be like for many people contemplating more schooling, and this grant makes it a lot easier financially. Now a really top-notch social work education is more accessible.

Has the need for more social workers and behavior health professionals increased in the past five years and if so, why?

One view is that the COVID pandemic lifted the veil on the problem of mental health in our world, but I believe the need for more behavioral health professionals has always been great.

What has changed is our society's perception of that need. The stigma around admitting you need help is becoming less intense. There is more public dialogue about mental health, societal problems, and the difficulties of our daily life.

We can thank Gen Z for this change. My younger students continually impress me with their openness and curiosity about mental health. As this generation gets older and enters the workforce in greater leadership roles, I have no doubt that we will see mental health professionals in workplace areas we never imagined before.

The future is bright for social work.

One for fun: What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday is the season of advent, the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Since having kids, advent has taught me a lot about waiting: the anticipation, the hope, the eagerness.

It's a hard thing to wait, especially patiently, but the countdown to Christmas day makes it more meaningful to our family.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 5 questions with Andy Reynolds, associated professor at Malone U