“I love seeing students take their classroom learning and apply it in the real world,” said Brenda Legaspi, a new social work faculty member at the College of Social Work (FSUCSW). Legaspi joins the college as an assistant teaching professor focused on working with distance learning students in the Online MSW Program. “My primary interest has been field education, the signature pedagogy of the social work profession.”

Legaspi comes to Florida State University with more than twenty-three years in the social work profession. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University, and began her career in the non-profit sector developing programs that served the needs of older adults. “I have always felt a desire to advocate for the underserved and vulnerable,” she explained,” and to counsel those who needed encouragement and guidance to overcome challenges to reach their full potential.”

In social work, she has worked with various populations and social work fields during her career, including runaway youths, people experiencing substance use issues and play therapy with children and families with histories of abuse. After working in the field for several years, she realized that she required more education and training to further her efforts to help vulnerable populations. She completed her MSW degree at the University of Central Florida with a certificate in marriage and family therapy, continuing on shortly after to obtain licensure as a licensed clinical social worker. Most recently, she worked with older adults with dementia and their caregivers, along with hospice patients to address end of life issues and bereavement.

Legaspi has also taught part-time as an adjunct professor in social work for the University of Central Florida for the past eleven years. She is excited to continue working in higher education at Florida State working with MSW students in FSUCSW’s online program. In her new role, she will work with placing online students in out-of-state internships while also teaching field education and seminar courses.

She indicated that she was drawn to FSU for several reasons, including FSUCSW’s commitment to developing relationships with its students to best meet students’ educational needs and goals. “I believe the most rewarding educational experiences come from collaborating together in ways that increase students’ knowledge base and experience,” Legaspi remarked. “FSU has a stellar reputation and I find that the faculty are continually in pursuit of the most evidence-based methods for teaching and preparing students.”

“I am looking forward to getting to know the online MSW students and to develop a mentoring relationship with them,” she said. “I also hope to share my clinical experience with students to help develop their clinical skills in working with individuals, families and communities.