CSW General

The College of Social Work celebrated its newest graduates at the fall graduation reception and pinning ceremony in the Oglesby Union Ballrooms in Tallahassee, Florida on December 16, 2016. Graduates were presented on stage with a College of Social Work pin. As one of the College’s more recent traditions, the pins commemorate the important step social work students take from the academic world to the professional world, and marks them as proud alumni of the FSU College of Social Work. 

Bionca and Breyonna Reese are not only identical twins, they also share a passion for social work. Beginning their academic career at Atlanta Metropolitan College, in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Breyonna started her associate’s degree in computer science and Bionca started majoring in history. “It’s funny, actually,” Breyonna reflected on the experience. “We both changed our major to social science and did not even know it until we both started taking social work classes at the same time.” 

Lisa Schelbe, an assistant professor in the FSU College of Social Work has been named a member of the 2017 class of fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). 

This distinction recognizes members of the society who have furthered its mission – to advance, disseminate and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable and just society. 

The FSU College of Social Work has always been committed to helping students and alumni achieve success, but recently, Dean Nick Mazza decided to do more.

“There was really an opportunity for the College to reach out to students, alumni and community members, and enhance their professional careers in social work,” said Mazza. “We established the Professional Development Program to provide additional resources for these groups that will ultimately help them succeed.”

Emily Cunningham, a junior at FSU’s College of Social Work, has volunteered with several organizations, but she recently had the opportunity to take on a leadership role when a friend asked if she would like to coordinate a volunteer project to raise awareness of homelessness in Tallahassee. In their project, titled “Conversation Pieces: Socially Engaged Art,” they conducted a series of art sessions for the children and adult residents of a local transitional housing community called HOPE.

John Sheetz first came to FSU to pursue bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and in hospitality administration after receiving the Palm Beach and Martin County Pathfinder Award in Community Involvement in 1999. As an undergraduate, he served as programming chair for the Service Corps Student Government Board. He also raced with the intercollegiate sailing team.

Jane McPherson is a second-year doctoral student focusing on the intersection between human rights and social work practice, with a particular interest in the needs of women who have survived state violence.

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.

Editor’s note: Agnes Muhongerwa is a visiting scholar at the Institute for Family Violence Studies in the College of Social Work at Florida State University. She is a prosecutor in Rwanda and a survivor of genocide. She tells her story below.

Agnes Muhongerwa has the heart of a survivor.

She tells the story of her life to students at Florida State University with poise, her voice steady, in spite of the tears that lie just below the surface. Her mother’s words, the words that sustained her through genocide in Rwanda, echo in her mind — “You must be strong.” So Agnes pauses, dabs a tissue to the corner of her eye and keeps talking.

She is small, diminutive even. I’m 5’6″ and I feel like I tower over Agnes, but strength, as it is in her case, often has nothing to do with stature.