Paying Homage: 2010 Field Educator of the Year

Each year the Office of Field Education sends out invitations to student interns for nomination of the Field Educator of the Year. Interns submitting nominations are students who have an opportunity to complete an internship under a Field Educator’s supervision. The nominations are then submitted to a select Field Committee for review using a rating tool designed for this purpose. Nominations for Field Educator of the Year begin each Summer semester and conclude each Spring semester.

The 2010 Field Educator of the Year is Ms. Elizabeth Byrd. She is employed by the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Administration Hospital. Ms. Byrd brings 25 years of experience in the field of Social Work, volunteers for various community agencies and has been an exemplary supervisor of our interns.  This year’s nominee is considered extraordinary.  The student intern supervised by Ms. Byrd states, “She has encouraged me throughout my placement and made me feel like part of the team. Her style of teaching is upfront and hands on. She is non-judgmental and encourages me to stretch my wings. She is an excellent role model and truly sets the standards for social workers”.  As eloquently spoken by Mahatma Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

Field educators play a vital role with our interns and provide guidance, direction, support and the opportunity to learn how to integrate theory into practice.

We salute our 2010 Field Educator of the year for her commitment to the field of Social Work and her outstanding service as a leader and mentor for our interns.