On the last day of the summer 2019 semester, the FSU College of Social Work hosted its summer graduation reception, honoring the of 23 BSW students, 93 MSW students, and one doctoral graduate (Erin King) graduation this semester.

Undergraduate social work student Faith Dekanter addressed attendees as the highlighted student speaker and graduate. From Jacksonville, Florida, Faith completed her degree in social work in three years along with a minor in child development.

“We as both social workers and students can understand best that life is filled with these parallels. Our worst days will always be followed by our best days, that all of our hard work will come to fruition and all of those hard moments will result in something beautiful,” she expressed in her speech. “And today that something beautiful is the recognition of what we’ve done here as students at Florida State.”

During her time at FSU, she was active within the College of Social Work with the CSW Student Ambassador Program, representing the student body at college events, and with the Student Association of Social Workers (Social Chair). She served as a community ambassador for the Kearney Center’s local emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness, focusing on community involvement in addition to educating the public on issues related to homelessness. Faith is interested in expanding access to housing for those experiencing homelessness. After graduation, she will serve as community programming and engagement coordinator for the Dwellings, a low-barrier sustainable tiny-home community in Tallahassee.

“We wouldn’t be here to do the hard work without the support from the college,” she stressed as she addressed the audience. “Support that came in the form of professors, scholarships, student organizations, research opportunities, and a message that we as students are capable of enacting change in whatever path we chose in social work.”

Attendees were also addressed by John Paschal, a licensed clinical social worker and an FSU College of Social Work alumnus (MSW, ’88). John worked for the state of Florida for more than eighteen years in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. He went into private practice after receiving his Master in Social Work degree from FSU, providing child and family therapy for more than thirty years until his retirement.

John reminded the audience that social workers are in it to make a difference in the lives of individuals and their communities. He shared a letter from a young client, read by Pam MacDill, that expressed this gratitude for his role of support.

He and his wife Meg Paschal, also a College of Social Work graduate (MSW, ’74), remain actively engaged with the college, particularly with international programs. In 2014, they established the John and Meg Paschal International Scholarship supporting social work students wishing to study abroad that demonstrate financial need, academic achievement (minimum 3.0 GPA), and a passion for the social work profession.

Following the speakers, graduates were honored with a walk across the stage to receive their FSU College of Social Work alumni pins. Click here to watch BSWs walk and click here to watch MSWs walk.