Social Work Students Honored at FSU Leadership Awards Night

The annual FSU Leadership Awards Night event on April 9, 2019 honored individuals and group students across campus who engage in leadership learning.

Among these recipients were undergraduate social work student Kathryn Casello, who received the President’s Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award, given to a student with a tremendous commitment to leadership and service. Read more about her Humanitarian Award here.

Social work doctoral student Megan Deichen Hansen and undergraduate Cassidy Lewis received the Academic Leadership Awards in social work, given to students who exhibit high academic performance, university service, and contribute both in and out of the classroom.

Megan was nominated and elected as the 2017-2018 Doctoral Program Committee Representative within the College of Social Work on behalf of social work doctoral students. In this role, she advocated for and garnered additional funding for doctoral student travel to academic conferences.  She also founded the Coalition for Justice-Driver Social Workers at the college, which brings together doctoral students and faculty to evaluate was that research, education, and community engagement intersect with traditional social work values.

Her research focuses strongly on perinatal health, which has led Megan to have a strong dedication to translational research. Megan joined Tallahassee’s Maternal Mental Health Community Advisory Board and was subsequently invited to participate in the College of Medicine’s Infant Mortality Workgroup.

“Through both groups, I’ve had the opportunity not only to broaden my scholarly activities, but to simultaneously enhance my learning opportunities at FSU,” Megan wrote in her statement supporting her nomination for this award. “My time at the College of Social Work has offered me numerous opportunities to develop as a scholar and service representative, both on behalf of my profession and my substantive research field.”

BSW student Cassidy Lewis also has an extensive track record of engagement on and off campus, contributing in social work both in academic and professional settings. Among her leadership roles, she has served as the student engagement representative for the Champions for Change Initiatives for Voices for Florida, which harnesses the power of sports to end sexual exploitation and the trafficking of children. Cassidy also worked off campus a public policy apprentice as a researcher and policy analyst for The Children’s Campaign a non-profit advocacy firm focused on health, safety, education, and wellbeing for Florida’s children and families. She has served as a peer mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend since 2016.

On campus, Cassidy has spearheaded the establishment of a Design for America at FSU as a studio lead and co-founder. She also serves in leadership roles for multitude of service organizations including Kappa Kappa Gamma (Vice President of Academic Excellence, 2019; Community Service Chair, 2018), CSW Student Ambassadors, FSU Student Association of Social Works (Membership Chair, 2019), University Honors Program (Honors Colloquium Leader, Fall 2018) and the Panhellenic Association at FSU (Recruitment Counselor, 2018). She became a member of the Garnet and Gold Key Leadership Honor Society in 2019.

“Cassidy Lewis is an extraordinary BSW who exemplifies academic leadership at the College of Social Work. Cassidy has pursued every leadership role available to her,” Pam MacDill, director of the BSW Program and Professional Development at the college said about Cassidy. “She believes that leadership necessitates empowerment and that social innovation prepares pioneers for change. Cassidy has been a part of this change, and has brought that experience back to the College enriching the classroom and her peers.”