Celebrate Our Spring 2022 Graduates and Award Winners

On Friday, April 29th the College of Social Work celebrated the graduation of 196 graduates including 57 BSWs, 137 MSWs and doctoral graduates Jessica Bagneris and Aidan Ferguson. The drop-in event was held in the College of Social Work lobby and classrooms featuring refreshments, commemorative items and photo opportunities for graduates and their guests along with faculty and staff.

Commencement for social work graduates was held on Sunday, May 2, 2022. 
GRADUATION PROGRAM

The college’s 2021-2022 award winners were also announced. A majority of the award winners were nominated and selected by the social work student body. The award winners included:

Elizabeth J. Piccard BSW Student of the Year: Keaton Winchester

His peer wrote in their nomination of Keaton, “I’ve only had one class with Keaton, but he has made the biggest impression on me out of everyone else in the student body. In classroom discussions, Keaton is not afraid to share his personal experiences that pertain to some of the most challenging areas of social work…He is real and raw, and it is impossible not to take something substantive away from his contributions in class.

Some of the most hardworking students often go overlooked because of the trials they face aren’t apparent. With this nomination, I hope Keaton learns that his efforts and contributions both in and outside of the classroom are valuable and worthy of recognition.”

Patricia V. Vance MSW Student of the Year: Lauren Henderson

Lauren Henderson is a student in the Advanced-Standing MSW Program with a clinical track and a passion for policy and leadership. She is also president of the FSU Macro Social Work Student Network.

“Lauren has provided amazing support to her fellow classmates,” wrote her nominator. “Lauren is constantly working to provide opportunities for students interested in macro social work to get involved and learn about opportunities within this area of the profession. Additionally, in the classroom, Lauren has contributed many helpful stories and insights which have aided in my learning experience. You can tell that Lauren is very passionate about social work and advocacy, which is why she deserves this award!”

Doctoral Student of the Year: Jessica Bagneris

Jessica Bagneris graduated spring 2022 and has a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion in social work research, education and practice. Her dissertation titled “Development and Implementation of a Socioculuturally Transformative Intervention for Pre-Service Teachers: A Randomized Control Trial” (major professor: Dr. LaTonya Noël) focused on social emotional learning interventions to aid teachers in developing skills to better promote social-emotional outcomes in all students. Her research focuses on making educational experiences and outcomes more equitable and inclusive. She will join the faculty of the University of Houston College of Social Work in the fall of 2022.

Instructor of the Year: Makenna Woods

Makenna Woods is a doctoral candidate and adjunct instructor with the College of Social Work. Her research focuses on veterans and suicide prevention. Her student nominator wrote, “I had Makenna for statistics during COVID and she really exemplified social work values during this time. She made it a point to check in with us every week and provide a safe space for students to share their thoughts and feelings from the week. While teaching course materials, she would adapt the material and meet us where we were and spend extra time on a topic, explain it in a different way, and even provide more examples for us to practice if we wanted…While stats is not the most exciting class, she really made a point to go the extra mile for her students.”

Professor of the Year: Jane Dwyer Lee

Jane Dwyer Lee is a teaching professor with the College of Social Work and is a licensed clinical social worker. Her areas of experience include behavioral health, substance use, international social work, gender and women’s issues, along with cultural diversity and criminal justice.

“She is a testament to a true success story I love that she is stern about people giving others their full attention when speaking…Jane wants everyone to be heard and I really love that,” wrote her nominator. “She does so much for her students, she makes us feel so welcome and cared for. You can tell she cares so deeply about each and every one of her students, as well as the material she teaches. She genuinely wants us to learn and be passionate as well. She can be tough when it’s needed, but she is one of the most compassionate, caring and kind professors within the college. I look forward to every single one of her classes because I know the conversations that happen are going to be insightful and meaningful and that I will learn a lot from the material.”

Field Educator of the Year: Richard Soper

Richard Soper is a team lead for Thomas and Grady Counties with Georgia Pines, an organization providing mental health, substance use and development disability services in Thomasville, Georgia. He is a licensed clinical social worker in Georgia and Florida and supervises FSU interns completing their field placement with Georgia Pines. He is also a two-time Florida State graduate in social work (MSW, 2017) and psychology (BA, 2013).