Student Spotlight https://socialwork.gmu.edu/ en How Pop Culture Ignited a Career in Social Work https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2022-06/how-pop-culture-ignited-career-social-work <span>How Pop Culture Ignited a Career in Social Work</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/486" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Mary Cunningham</span></span> <span>Mon, 06/06/2022 - 08:44</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h4><span><span><span><span><span>Bachelor of Social</span></span></span> <span><span><span>Work student Alondra Ortega speaks about how her personal values to help children integrate with her career aspirations. </span></span></span></span></span></h4> <div class="align-right"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2022-06/Alondra%20Ortega%202_cropped.jpg?itok=MGc5LXdY" width="331" height="350" alt="Alondra Oregta" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span>May 2022 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) graduate Alondra Ortega’s motivation to pursue a career as a social worker was ignited after watching an episode of the popular crime fiction television show <em>Law and Order: Special Victims Unit</em>. Ortega has always been aware of her desire to aid vulnerable populations and the depiction of an overwhelmed child welfare system solidified her decision to enter the field.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“The episode touched on the reality of burnout among child welfare workers and emphasized the need for workers who are committed to making a change and helping children in need,” Ortega said. “The message of that episode resonated deeply with me.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ortega’s drive to help underserved communities has allowed her to collaborate with others who share her commitment. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h4><span><span><span><span><span>No Stranger to Advocacy</span></span></span></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ortega is an active member of </span></span></span><a href="https://mason360.gmu.edu/cus/home/"><span><span>Corazones Unidos Siempre Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc.</span></span></a><span><span><span>, an organization that is devoted to improving the unique obstacles minority women in our communities face and to working toward the betterment of all women. In partnership with </span></span></span><a href="http://facetscares.org/"><span><span>FACETS</span></span></a><span><span><span>, a Fairfax County non-profit dedicated to ending poverty, Chi Upsilon Sigma created care packages and hosted a feminine hygiene drive. A</span>t the institution where she was previously an intern, Ortega also created a diversity, equity, and inclusion team to encourage cultural competency.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I enjoy giving back to the community because I believe it is important to take care of the community that shaped us as individuals whether that be organizing a donation drive, doing a small clean up with my family, or advocating for a social justice issue,” said Ortega. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Ortega models how </span></span><a href="https://socialwork.gmu.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs"><span><span>Mason’s BSW</span></span></a><span><span> prepares future social work professionals to be leaders in their field by providing a range of opportunities to develop broad knowledge and skills. Because of her efforts, Ortega recently won the BSW Advocacy Award. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I am dedicated to being an influential member of society by supporting and advocating on behalf of those who make up the future of our communities, children. I am honored to have been recognized, among other talented students, by the faculty and staff of the BSW program,” <span><span>Ortega said.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>For her practicum, Ortega worked as a Family Services Specialist Intern at a local department of social services where she assisted in foster care cases, home visits, family assessments, documentation, client referrals, interpretation, and translation. After graduating she plans to continue working at her practicum placement full-time as a Family Services Specialist. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Children are perhaps the most innocent beings in this life, and it is our duty to protect that innocence and promote their well-being. I am committed to working toward the betterment of the social conditions that increase the risk of child abuse and neglect,” said Ortega. </span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1046" hreflang="en">CHHS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1356" hreflang="en">Graduation</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:44:51 +0000 Mary Cunningham 2221 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Pursuing Excellence On and Off the Field https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2022-03/pursuing-excellence-and-field <span>Pursuing Excellence On and Off the Field</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Wed, 03/23/2022 - 09:13</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h3>Undergraduate student-athletes in the College reflect on their proudest sports moment and how their classes supported their athletics.</h3> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2022-03/KaiMuniz.JPG?itok=3LDZDSfI" width="350" height="233" alt="Image of Kai Muniz running on the track " loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Kai Muniz</figcaption></figure><p>Exercise is one aspect of staying healthy, so athletes pursuing degrees in the College of Health and Human Services are a natural fit. Six undergraduate students in the College of Health and Human Services were honored at the Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar Athlete Awards ceremony on March 22. The ceremony recognized student-athletes who have maintained a GPA of at least 3.75 while continuing to represent Mason in their respective sports. Community health majors Ashley Dawson (cheer), Briana Dawson (cheer), Stephanie Der (volleyball), and Kai Muniz (cross country); nursing major Jessica McRae (track and field); and social work major Casey Nelson (track &amp; field) were honored at the awards ceremony.</p> <p>Being a college athlete requires dedication and hard work. The scholar-athletes found their College coursework has been helpful in their sports and with their teams, while their athletics also helped with their coursework, regardless of their major.</p> <p>“My courses taught me how to roll with the punches and learn to understand my fellow teammates based on their own unique pasts. Public health is all about working together and guiding people towards their best possible outcomes and the classes I have taken has made me more conscientious about my actions as an athlete,” said Muniz ’22, Bachelor of Science in Community Health.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2022-03/Casey%20Nelson%20T%26F%202022.jpg?itok=08C4Kjwp" width="350" height="220" alt="Image of Casey Nelson throwing a shot put" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Casey Nelson</figcaption></figure><p>“Regarding athletics, my studies of social work have allowed me to see the importance of balancing the multiple demands of being a student-athlete. Additionally, it has allowed me to become more understanding and empathetic of challenges that student-athletes face regarding mental health, injuries, and other setbacks,” said Nelson ’22, Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in public health.</p> <p>“Being a student-athlete has prepared me for the harder classes in my major because I was able to work hard and do well in the classes,” said McRae ’22, a Nursing major.</p> <p>They have created many memories throughout college, and these athletes especially remember the big moments that contributed to their respective team’s success.</p> <p>“My proudest sports moment at Mason would probably be toeing the line [being on the starting line] at the regional cross country meet with the guys. It's a grueling season and getting to see all our hard work pay off and run in Louisville on such a storied course with the people I've grown to love was so special to me,” said Muniz, who typically ran the 1500, the mile, and the 5K.</p> <p>“My proudest moment at Mason would be winning the hammer event at the A10s championship last spring,” said McRae, who also competed in shot put and the weight throw.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2022-03/Jessica%20Mcrae.jpg?itok=bCHX0mgI" width="350" height="233" alt="Image of Jessica Mcrae " loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Jessica McRae </figcaption></figure><p>“My proudest sports moment at Mason was during my freshman year when I was competing at the A10 Conference Championship meet at the University of Massachusetts in 2019. I placed 8th in discus scoring a point for my team. I was very happy to contribute as a freshman to my team winning at Conference. Every point counts!” said Nelson, who also competed in shot put and the weight throw.</p> <p>Professors are the coaches of the classroom who help students learn new skills and motivate them with new knowledge. For the ceremony, students were asked to identify their favorite faculty member who had impacted their college career. The student-athletes are thankful for what they’ve learned from their professors.</p> <p>“Dr. Freedman is an outstanding professor. He does an excellent job engaging students by fostering a safe and inclusive classroom environment for everyone to respectfully share their thoughts and ideas. His immense passion and enthusiasm for students and their professional growth is greatly appreciated,” said Nelson, who is president of the Social Workers at Mason club.</p> <p>“My favorite teacher in my major is Dr. Ali Weinstein. She presented the course content so well and gave us comprehensible situations to apply what we were doing in class in real-world scenarios. Talking with her gave me a lot of insight towards future careers,” said Muniz.</p> <p>“My favorite teacher is Professor Frese because she is great at explaining pathophysiology to her students, and I feel like she really prepared us for what expect in real nursing situations,” said Mcrae.</p> <p>Congratulations to all our student-athletes and best of luck in your future careers.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2346" hreflang="en">Mason Athletics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/141" hreflang="en">Community Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/186" hreflang="en">Nursing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2211" hreflang="en">Student Athlete</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:13:05 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 2091 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Mason’s Next Generation of Social Workers https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-09/masons-next-generation-social-workers <span>Mason’s Next Generation of Social Workers </span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Wed, 09/08/2021 - 11:57</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1081" hreflang="en">Social Work Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/dfreedm" hreflang="und">Daniel Freedman, PhD, MSW, LCSW</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h4><span><span><em><span>Students in the BSW program reflect on their aspirations to become social workers.</span></em></span></span></h4> <p><span><span><span>From helping families affected by domestic violence and food insecurity to educating others on mental health and helpful resources, </span><span>social workers increase access to support services, build stronger communities in the areas they serve, and play a fundamental role in public health. Students beginning the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program this academic year share why they aspire to join the profession and their excitement to join a supportive community of students and faculty. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>On August 18, new BSW students attended an orientation led by </span><a href="https://chhs.gmu.edu/profiles/dfreedm" target="_blank"><span>Daniel Freedman</span></a><span>, BSW program director. During the session, students learned about the course requirements and resources for Mason students and gained insight from seniors in the program, who shared advice and spoke about professional development opportunities. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Josselyn Ruano, a junior who changed her major from business management to social work, joined the program to work in a field that aligns with her passions. “[Social work has] always been something I am really passionate about,” Ruano says. “My older sister graduated from Mason, and she was a social work major, so seeing how she enjoyed her college experience as well as what she is doing [in the workforce] now has always interested me.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Eager to learn new skills that will help her support others, Ruano views social work as an opportunity to become someone she has always wanted to be. “I want to be the person I didn’t have growing up,” Ruano says. “As a first-generation student, it’s like I’m breaking barriers, something my parents couldn’t do. Now I have an opportunity to give back to people who do need help.” </span></span></span></span></p> <div class="align-right"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2021-09/Social%20Work%20Orientation%20Group_0.jpeg?itok=2iXZCE3D" width="300" height="258" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span><span>For junior Amy Burkhart, the ability to help people has been the driving force in deciding her major. While exploring her options, Burkhart became interested in social work after taking a personality test. “All of the results were either counselor or social worker, so I was like, ‘What does a social worker do?’ And that’s when I realized they were literally underground heroes,” Burkhard says. “It’s like we are supposed to see a problem in society and fix it.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Both Burkhart and Ruano look forward to joining a community of students who share common interests. “You don’t hear about social workers a lot, so it’s kind of lonely when you realize you have a passion for something, but you don’t have any community in your normal, day-to-day life as a young adult,” Burkhart says.  </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>“I definitely think within the program and by attending this [orientation], there is a strong sense of community, and everybody is in it to help each other,” Ruano says. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>In a show of that community spirit, several accomplished BSW seniors—Abdelaziz Hasen, Nia Hutson, and Casey Nelson—spoke at the orientation to offer advice and share information on professional development opportunities for future social workers.  </span></span></span></p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2021-09/Social%20Work%20Orientation%20Seniors.jpeg?itok=cbAhzYXb" width="350" height="314" loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span>“I was encouraging them to get involved and take advantage of the resources that we have here,” says Nelson, who is the president of Social Workers at Mason (SWAM). “There are a lot of research opportunities and club opportunities, like SWAM. I also told them to put themselves out there, talking to [others] with similar passions, because it’s really nice to talk with like-minded people who want to see change in the world.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Hutson and Hasen both spoke to the new students about the importance of having confidence in themselves as they begin the program and confronting any fears they have about learning new skills. “I think that if you understand your fear and confront it, you will find room to grow, find your strengths and weaknesses, and be more open-minded to things,” Hasen said at the session. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span>When asked about their experience in the program, the seniors felt prepared and motivated to join the social work field after graduating. “I am really thankful that I found a major and a career field that I am 110 percent into and I know that I’m going to enjoy,” Hutson says.</span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:57:28 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 2016 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Social Work Student Mengqi Li Is a Fierce Advocate for the APIDA Community On-Campus and Beyond https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-08/social-work-student-mengqi-li-fierce-advocate-apida-community-campus-and-beyond <span>Social Work Student Mengqi Li Is a Fierce Advocate for the APIDA Community On-Campus and Beyond</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/271" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">mthomp7</span></span> <span>Thu, 08/26/2021 - 10:17</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/etomasze" hreflang="und">Evelyn Tomaszewski, MSW, ACSW</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/eihara" hreflang="und">Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h3><span><span>Li shares her passion for social justice and the opportunities the MSW program has offered her so far. </span></span></h3> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/media_library/public/2021-08/Mengqi%20Li.jpg?itok=iQybK6Mc" width="200" height="220" alt="Mengqi Li " loading="lazy" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> <p><span><span>Mengqi Li is a Master of Social Work student with a passion for social justice and advocating for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community. She was recently accepted into the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program, with a mission to reduce health disparities for racially and ethnically diverse populations through cultural competency training. Additionally, Li accepted a new position at Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) as a graduate assistant within the Student Engagement for Racial Justice team. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>Li started the MSW program as a major career transition a few years after graduating with an undergraduate degree in business. “I just knew it really wasn’t where my heart was,” she says about working in business. She decided to pursue social work due to her interest in clinical mental health and the field’s emphasis on social justice values. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>“The program at Mason has the most diverse faculty, and as a BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and person of color] student that was really important to me,” Li says about why the MSW program stood out to her.  </span></span></p> <p><span><span>She’s found many ways that the curriculum has intersected with her activism and advocacy. Last spring, she took SOCW 659 Organizing and Advocating for Change, a course on community organizing, during which Li and her classmates brainstormed ways to organize around issues on campus. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>Li’s engagement as a student goes beyond the classroom too. She is the founding president of the Asian Graduate Student Association. So far, the organization has recruited nearly 100 APIDA graduate students. “I’m very excited for the potential of this RSO [registered student organization] to build community at Mason,” she says. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>Faculty and staff have had a tremendous impact on Li’s life as a student, and MSW Program Director Evelyn Tomaszewski, </span></span>MSW, ACSW,<span><span> has been a great ally to her in and out of the classroom. Social Work Department Chair Emily Ihara helped connect Li to CCEE for her graduate assistant position and to other opportunities as well, including the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>“Having APIDA faculty and staff [in the department] has been very meaningful,” says Li. She notes that Julie Kim, the director of graduate student life, is an APIDA staff member who has also made a huge impact on her experience at Mason so far.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>After she completes her master’s degree, Li plans to continue her advocacy work for the APIDA community, particularly within the field of mental health. She notes that a lack of diverse practitioners may be one reason why Asian Americans do not always seek mental health services, even when they need it. Li is currently in a training program to be a meditation teacher and hopes to integrate mindfulness training into her future clinical work. </span></span></p> <p><span><span>When asked about what advice she has for future MSW students, Li says, “Let others know what you care about. I really believe that’s a huge part of what will open the door to opportunities.” She also adds that leaning into your interests and passions “will keep [them] burning and sustain you in whatever form of work that you do.” </span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/236" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services Department of Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1366" hreflang="en">social justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2281" hreflang="en">grad students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 26 Aug 2021 14:17:47 +0000 mthomp7 2006 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu CHHS Students Committed to Giving Back to the Community  https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-05/chhs-students-committed-giving-back-community <span>CHHS Students Committed to Giving Back to the Community </span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Tue, 05/04/2021 - 09:03</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2021" hreflang="en">Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/166" hreflang="en">Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/186" hreflang="en">Nursing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1541" hreflang="en">food insecurity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><strong>Graduating CHHS Seniors Reflect on Community Engagement.</strong></p> <p>Students who pursue public health-related fields are working to make an impact in their respective fields of study as well as their local communities. By applying skills they learned in their coursework, many students in the College of Health and Human Services work and volunteer for local organizations that support health, wellness, and social justice initiatives. </p> <p>Tristan Corbett, a Bachelor of Social Work student, explains the importance of giving back to the community. “As a CHHS student, you learn across multiple classes [on] how important environmental influences are to both the health and well-being of an individual,” said Corbett. “It is easy to go about life and be a recipient of the benefits from the environment and [community], but I find it important to contribute to them as well; it is a group effort to sustain and improve our community, for our community.” </p> <p>As a student studying social work, Corbett became involved with a local nonprofit, <a href="http://facetscares.org/" target="_blank">FACETS</a>, while completing his practicum. “There are many opportunities to contribute to the community [at FACETS], from Hot Meals - a food distribution program for the local homeless population around NoVA - to the Education and Community Development branch, which seeks to enrich the lives of the subsidized housing communities around their offices.” </p> <p>Many students find community engagement opportunities as a way to gain real-world experience by problem-solving, communicating, and collaborating with others to address issues facing their community. </p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div alt="Pratishna Thapa" data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="315ecf76-2c4c-4a22-a2bd-407a9f39d111" title="Pratishna Thapa" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-05/85B8A415-BD57-46A0-B2F4-AFFADF67C026.jpeg" alt="Pratishna Thapa" title="Pratishna Thapa" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>"Giving back to your community is an opportunity for you to evolve as a person and understand how you fit into the world around you. Engaging with different communities will enhance your life and connect you to people and ideas that will positively influence you in different walks of life." - Pratishna Thapa</figcaption> </figure> <p>For Pratishna Thapa, a Bachelor of Social Work student in the College, giving back to the community is a way for her to help individuals through challenging situations while she earns her degree at Mason. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“I have had the privilege to work with different communities -- from working with children and adults with disabilities, organizing disaster relief programs for people affected by natural disasters, strategizing ways to enhance the well-being of marginalized women in developing countries, advocating for victims and witnesses of domestic violence to assisting formerly incarcerated women to get back into the society,” Thapa said.  </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Thapa has worked with the <a href="https://www.alexandriava.gov/courts/victim-witness-assistance-program" target="_blank">Alexandria Victim Assistance Program</a>, a Virginia organization staffed by Crime Victim Advocates who provide support and services to crime victims during the aftermath of a crime and throughout the criminal justice process. While working as an advocate in the organization, Thapa attended court with individuals who have survivors of crimes and organized vigils for those who have died due to domestic violence. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Currently, Thapa serves as a case manager intern for <a href="https://friendsofguesthouse.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Guest House</a>, where she provides emotional support and coping strategies for formerly incarcerated women. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“My daily responsibilities entail helping the women identify their stressors, identify coping plans, document case notes for my clients, and lead psychoeducational groups like Interpersonal Skills and Seeking Safety weekly,” Thapa said. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Through her advocacy work, Thapa was inspired to pursue research opportunities relating to women's experiences in the prison system. “I have observed an inconsistency in the demographic of women being rehabilitated versus the actual prison population,” Thapa said. “This has piqued my interest in researching the gaps within the prison system while pursuing my Master's in Social work through the <a href="https://socialwork.gmu.edu/program/social-work-msw" target="_blank">Advanced Standing Program</a> at Mason.” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Kendal Chase, a student in the School of Nursing, also has a mission to help others in her community. Chase’s community engagement began at the macro-level by serving her country in the United States Army. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div alt="Kendal Chase" data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="11fa513c-5390-4837-bfb5-944e82578755" title="Kendal Chase" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-05/portrait.png" alt="Kendal Chase" title="Kendal Chase" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>"Learning at Mason taught me that my education and experience were not about myself but about the needs of the community and where I can help out as an individual." -Kendal Chase</figcaption> </figure> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“I proudly served 8 years of Active-Duty service as a Pharmacy Technician,” Chase said. “I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Belvoir, Virginia, serving in both field exercise and hospital settings.” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>While serving in the Army, Chase became the liaison for Fort Belvoir’s Hazardous Waste Program, where she educated healthcare professionals on the importance of medical disposal practices. This experience led to more opportunities to help others when Chase transitioned into a career outside of the Army. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>While serving as an Outreach Coordinator for Fairfax County, Chase implemented strategies to help the community safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. “I focused much of my work on researching and designing a pilot Drug Take-Back program for privately-owned pharmacies,” Chase said. “This program was then presented to the Virginia State Wastewater employees at the WaterJam conference in 2019.” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>When she was accepted into the School of Nursing, Chase continued helping others by joining Mason’s <a href="https://nursing.gmu.edu/students/student-organizations/student-nurses-association" target="_blank">Student Nursing Association</a> (SNA) board. “My primary motivation for applying for the SNA board was to provide a better avenue for communication for the students and faculty,” Chase said. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>As a board member, Chase helped navigate the group through a challenging year due to COVID-19. However, the pandemic didn’t stop Chase and her fellow board members from helping other nursing students. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“[Working together] during a COVID environment has proven to be difficult, but I’ve learned it’s only made us closer as a group, as we have to be creative, innovative, and dedicated to making it work,” Chase said. “It was because of our continued teamwork that our club was turned into a constituent at the national level. We’ve conducted coat drives, food drives, and promoted a mentorship program for pre-nursing and nursing students, to name a few [projects].” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Due to the global impact of COVID-19, there is a strong need for community engagement initiatives to help with the local implications of the pandemic. Mei Qiu, a Bachelor of Social Work student in the College, continued serving her community and expanding her professional skills by connecting others to helpful resources throughout the pandemic.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div alt="Image of Mei Qiu standing on a mountaintop. " data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="a2f090a5-3dd1-4df3-9300-45eea371d185" title="Mei Qiu" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-05/thumbnail_Image.jpeg" alt="Image of Mei Qiu standing on a mountaintop. " title="Mei Qiu" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>"Volunteering my time helps give me a purpose and improve social inequalities that are occurring in the area." -Mei Qiu</figcaption> </figure> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>“During quarantine, I was able to help volunteer at many facilities to help detect COVID-19 in the Prince William county area with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps,” Qiu said.  </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>For Qiu, getting involved in community engagement is an important component of her future career. “It’s important to give back because, as a future social worker, I need to familiarize myself with my community and what resources and services are needed,” Qiu said. “Volunteering my time helps give me a purpose and improve social inequalities that are occurring in the area.” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>In addition to working as a research assistant, Qiu has also focused on helping others who face food and housing insecurity. “Most recently, I have been volunteering my time with the Hot Meals program at FACETS as a driver and to help give out meals to people who are homeless in the Fairfax county area,” Qiu said. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Community engagement has offered these seniors opportunities to make meaningful contributions that improve the lives of those around them while completing their degrees. Through this type of advocacy work, Mason’s future leaders in public health are well-prepared to serve their communities and continue to better their communities. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Before graduating in May, Corbett, Thapa, Chase, and Qiu were honored as <a href="https://integrative.gmu.edu/articles/15835" target="_blank">Community Engagement Medallion Awardees</a> by Mason’s Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL) organization. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 04 May 2021 13:03:28 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 1866 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Student's Mission to Enhance Public Health Awareness https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-04/students-mission-enhance-public-health-awareness <span>Student&#039;s Mission to Enhance Public Health Awareness </span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Mon, 04/19/2021 - 14:16</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/166" hreflang="en">Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1031" hreflang="en">Advocacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h4><span><span><span><span><span>Master of Public Health Student, Evelyn Zavala, Educates Others on the Importance of Public Health.</span></span></span></span></span></h4> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div alt="image of Evelyn Zavala " data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="fa98af0c-05d2-4fcc-a895-253633391a3e" title="Evelyn Zavala " data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-04/Headshot.jpg" alt="image of Evelyn Zavala " title="Evelyn Zavala " typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>Zavala, a Student Ambassador for This is Public Health, educates high school and college students across the nation on the importance of public health and the career opportunities the field provides.</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Evelyn Zavala, Master of Public Health student at the College of Health and Human Services, has a mission to educate others on the importance of public health.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As the This is Public Health (TIPH) Student Ambassador for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Zavala informs college and high school students across the nation about the opportunities a public health degree provides. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Founded by </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.aspph.org/"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>ASPPH</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>, the This Is Public Health campaign raises awareness about education and career options in public health through outreach initiatives. To date, the group has over 94 Student Ambassadors from across the nation and has participated in 78 graduate fairs and 31 roadshow events to promote public health education. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I was inspired to pursue being a TIPH Student Ambassador because I wanted to educate high school and college students about public health and how they can get involved or pursue a career in public health,” Zavala said. “After all, when I was a freshman, I had no idea this fantastic field existed.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>According to Zavala, the primary duties of serving as a TIPH Student Ambassador involve engaging in social media outreach, working on various health education projects, giving presentations to students, and answering questions at public health fairs. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“We get to motivate and encourage other people who don't know about public health and all the opportunities available at different universities,” Zavala said. “It's an incredible networking experience and [participants are] extremely diverse in backgrounds and interests.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Serving as a Student Ambassador for TIPH has presented Zavala with many professional development opportunities that she can apply to her future career, such as networking and public speaking. She also represents Mason’s public health program, where she reflects on why she chose a public health degree and empowers others to pursue similar degrees. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Zavala feels that public health is still overlooked by most students. “The campaign, This is Public Health, highlights how everything around us is public health but not many people know what public health is until a crisis like COVID-19 or an epidemic is mentioned,” Zavala said. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The experience has taught Zavala the importance of working with other dedicated ambassadors to achieve the same goal of increasing the understanding of public health. “What I have seen from all of the TIPH student ambassadors is that we all do a little to make a huge difference,” Zavala said. “Even in different parts of the country, every little bit counts, and we are moving towards healthier lives for the country.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In May, Zavala will graduate with a Master of Public Health degree and a concentration in Epidemiology. “After graduation, I hope to continue to serve my county in my role as a Case Interviewer for the Institute of Public Health Innovations, working with the Fairfax County Health Department to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Virginia,” Zavala said. “I hope to see the [COVID-19] response to its end and then move into a federal or other epidemiologist position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Emory University in Atlanta, GA.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 19 Apr 2021 18:16:26 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 1861 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Healing the Healers Through a Pandemic https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-04/healing-healers-through-pandemic <span>Healing the Healers Through a Pandemic </span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Tue, 04/06/2021 - 10:14</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="91a8477f-6235-404b-a0ae-d82642870d17" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h5><span><span><span><span><span><span>Parriski’s time at Mason allowed her to gain the needed experience to be a successful health educator and establish a mental health program at New Jersey Hope and Healing.</span></span></span></span></span></span></h5> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1296" hreflang="en">Counseling</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1946" hreflang="en">Workplace Wellbeing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/141" hreflang="en">Community Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1951" hreflang="en">Access to Health Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2266" hreflang="en">Alumni Spotlight</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h4><span><span><span><span><em><span>Mason alumna provides mental health support to health care workers and achieves the highest score on the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam in fall 2020.</span></em></span></span></span></span></h4> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div alt="Irene Parriski (right) standing beside Professor McDonald at the 2019 graduation ceremony" data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="93234b32-a7df-4402-8931-99aeaa7a1037" title="Irene Parriski and Professor McDonald " data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-04/Graduation%20Kayla_0.jpg" alt="Irene Parriski (right) standing beside Professor McDonald at the 2019 graduation ceremony" title="Irene Parriski and Professor McDonald " typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>Parriski (right), standing beside Professor McDonald, leads a team of counselors to provide wellbeing strategies and support to health care departments in Central New Jersey.</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>To combat the growing mental health challenges affecting health care workers, Mason CHHS alumna Irene Parriski leads a team of crisis counselors dedicated to providing wellbeing strategies and self-care resources for local health departments. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>After graduating in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Community Health, Parriski applied her skills and experience to help others. “I currently serve as Team Lead and Crisis Counselor for New Jersey Hope and Healing,” Parriski said. “</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>This program is designed to offer emotional support for those impacted by a disaster and to provide referrals to specific programs or a crisis counselor.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Specifically, my team supports health care workers in the Central Jersey region.”  </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>To further educate others on managing health concerns, Parriski became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) in Fall 2020. After taking the exam, she soon found out that she earned the highest CHES score out of the nation. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I have been passionate about public health since I started at Mason but entering into my career amidst the pandemic added unforeseen challenges,” Parriski said. “Learning I achieved the high score on the CHES exam was very validating for me, and I felt reassured that my passion and work in the field was worthwhile.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>When asked how she prepared for the exam, Parriski spoke of the support she gained from Mason faculty and the experience acquired from her program’s coursework. “I especially want to thank Professor McDonald who I had for GCH 350 (Health Education and Promotion) and GCH 411 (Program Planning and Evaluation),” Parriski said. “Not only were these classes the most relevant to the CHES exam, but Professor McDonald has [also] been a great mentor as I studied for the exam and entered into the public health field.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“Irene’s stellar performance on the CHES exam is a testament to her hard work," Mason Professor Kayla McDonald said. “I applaud Irene’s ongoing dedication to educating health care workers on the importance of well-being and mental health.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Parriski’s time at Mason allowed her to gain the needed experience to be a successful health educator and establish a mental health program at New Jersey Hope and Healing. “The wide-ranging classes I took within the community health program primed me to navigate all of the stages of programming,” Parriski said. “I am grateful to the faculty at Mason for preparing me to be successful in my current role.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition, Parriski praised Mason for providing a dynamic atmosphere to learn in, which helped her gain the needed skills to provide care to others. “While at Mason, I encountered such diversity in thoughts, ideas, and experiences,” Parriski said. “This has made me more understanding and empathetic of others’ circumstances so that now I can better meet them where they are in life.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Parriski’s team supports health care workers by promoting activities and resources that aid in wellbeing, such as hosting mindfulness breaks, running workshops on effective coping skills, and holding support spaces to help health departments process their experiences working through a pandemic. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Speaking on what it is like to support health care workers experiencing mental health concerns, Parriski said that it has been one of the most rewarding experiences in her life thus far. “It is a great feeling to see my team growing as counselors, helping others, and working with passion,” Parriski said. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dedicated to service, Irene recently completed training to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer as well as a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor (DRCC) volunteer. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:14:07 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 1816 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu Taking Action to Fight Systemic Racism and Register Hard-to-Reach Voters https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-03/taking-action-fight-systemic-racism-and-register-hard-reach-voters <span>Taking Action to Fight Systemic Racism and Register Hard-to-Reach Voters</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/371" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" content="John Brandon Cantrell">John Brandon C…</span></span> <span>Fri, 03/26/2021 - 16:38</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="1784afaf-96e1-4234-bd2e-99533dbbfd9e" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h2>Congratulations to Caprecia Miller whose academic and advocacy work culminated in being awarded the CRISP Outstanding Student of the Year Award in March 2021.</h2> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1046" hreflang="en">CHHS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1281" hreflang="en">Voting</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/166" hreflang="en">Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div alt="Image of Caprecia Miller " data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="99e0df96-680f-43d0-857c-f99a762c53f3" title="Caprecia Miller " data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/2021-03/Caprecia_IMG_8327.jpeg" alt="Image of Caprecia Miller " title="Caprecia Miller " typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>Miller’s academic and advocacy work culminated in being awarded the CRISP Outstanding Student of the Year Award in March 2021</figcaption> </figure> <p> </p> <p> </p> <h4><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>Master of Social Work Student Recognized for Voter Outreach</strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>After the wrongful deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor shook the nation, Caprecia Miller, a Master’s of Social Work student at the College of Health and Human Services, wanted to take action to address issues of systemic racism and police brutality. Her goal was to increase voter accessibility.  </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I believe social workers have a responsibility to raise awareness about the importance of voting and voter registration with their clients, regardless of political affiliation,” Miller said. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><em><span>ability</span></em></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span> to have one’s voice heard by voting is actually a social determinant of health (</span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://secure-web.cisco.com/1L3r0rEjBgNiDYFRoZBmanwM9LIJqS4uXGDmsq73PHT8L1u9aemJwmos15Rya3WDVqdGh8OtTvVCbhC-YDgmDeB8WNyz6UDmpMWQpNbAtoLC9vWdj45DJ4HliYjOzhJZ8JyhPoiEu7X8dYka7ReN4e6zcyR-ozFo8Ptq_F3yikx4et4V5LQaoCF5XnoJ978TIftKWXpsj69og2bqS3v0NWMEMFaK7LCdNENKxH285Dtw4x91TjhlIspyLIg-K__sYBnTHS5Zf7_7pjrK1XU1fYeqqUWtZ-Y_-ibyr89obwFGNiCK5I6-cqRob1v00PPI_A3xojpQw5xZAwRkS9tDiyQqv6zX1XFuX-ViuUm4kWsw_LCUa4lSIvuFZ8HPGRX1AuIys35OWOeM473P-pdYFb0iTekkpoOBY8YxxzAcavqS588xtDzM3pAHyVC0nzC63jYsPQs1y05FQ-XdLmQGfRw/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthypeople.gov%2F2020%2Ftopics-objectives%2Ftopic%2Fsocial-determinants-health%2Finterventions-resources%2Fcivic-participation" target="_blank"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Healthy People 2020</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>) and a constitutional right that some choose not to exercise for a wide variety of reasons. She began to research voting organizations and soon signed up to be a Voting Squad Captain for When We All Vote, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization with a mission to increase voter participation in every election. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Feeling distraught after watching the news about George Floyd’s death just a month later, Miller took yet another step toward her goal and set up a voter registration booth near the protests in Washington, D.C. “This is what motivated me and inspired me to get people registered to vote,” Miller said. “I wanted to go where large amounts of people were. This is when I started showing up at Black Lives Matter Plaza and used the protests as an opportunity to register voters.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Through her work, Miller became a familiar face to many at the protests, both to locals and those who have traveled from different parts of the country to show support. She will always remember the opportunity to speak with individuals facing housing concerns and register them to vote. “I quickly became a regular at Black Lives Matter Plaza, and several people experiencing homelessness desired to help me set up my table each Saturday,” Miller recalls. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The experience of speaking with individuals at the protests demonstrated to Miller how many are interested in expressing their concerns when given the opportunity to do so, which inspired her to increase her outreach initiatives. “I learned that people really want someone to take the time to listen to them,” Miller said. “A lot of times we are quick to ask, ‘Are you registered to vote?’ That is not enough when you are trying to register the hard-to-reach voters.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Her work in registering hard-to-reach voters did not go unnoticed. When We All Vote recognized Miller as being in the top 3 Voting Squad Captains in the nation, resulting in a surprise phone call from two prominent members of the organization. Miller received a call from Meghan Markle, who is an ambassador for When We All Vote, and Gloria Steinem, an icon of the women’s movement. “I tried to remain professional and calm but then showed my excitement – I lost it!” said Miller. “We chatted for a while and spoke about the importance of the upcoming election. It was a great call, indeed, and we all shared the same concerns.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition to the phone call, Miller received a personal letter from Former First Lady Michelle Obama, a co-founder of When We All Vote. She was also featured in stories by </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.vox.com/21492380/elections-vote-register-same-day-automatic" target="_blank"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Vox</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span> and </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/12/909131065/will-2020-be-the-year-of-the-young-voter" target="_blank"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>NPR</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>At Mason, Miller was able to combine her passion for voter outreach with her coursework in the Master of Social Work program. “I learned a great deal in SOCW:676 Voting, Empowerment &amp; Social Justice with Professor Rome … and SOCW: 659 (Organizing and Advocating for Change), as well.” Miller had the opportunity to participate in several events that allowed her to gain resources for voting outreach, as well as the chance to speak on the importance of passing H.R. 1 - For The Peoples Act to Congressional staffers. “I was able to make connections and network at the macro-level through my attendance at the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work &amp; Policy (CRISP) Congressional Roundtable, Social Work Day on the Hill, and Student Advocacy Day.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Miller’s academic and advocacy work culminated in being awarded the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>CRISP Outstanding Student of the Year Award in March 2021. When asked about her future, Miller stated that she plans to graduate with her Master’s in Social Work in May 2021 and work to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. “</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>As a U.S. Army Veteran, I desire to continue giving back and working with Veterans and families and hope to become a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs Team,” Miller said. “I plan to remain engaged in my community and will continue to volunteer when opportunities present themselves. I most definitely will be actively involved with civic engagement leading up to the mid-term elections.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 26 Mar 2021 20:38:37 +0000 John Brandon Cantrell 1806 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu MSW Student Carolyn Leonard Shares Artwork for National Social Work Month https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-03/msw-student-carolyn-leonard-shares-artwork-national-social-work-month <span>MSW Student Carolyn Leonard Shares Artwork for National Social Work Month</span> <span><span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span>Wed, 03/24/2021 - 13:31</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/hmatto" hreflang="und">Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h3><span><span><span>Carolyn Leonard, a MSW ’22 student, says the art was inspired by this year’s theme for National Social Work Month: social workers are essential. <em> </em> </span></span></span></h3> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div alt="Art work titled &quot;Social Work is Essential&quot; " data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="e2a1cdfb-af56-4ceb-b134-f590db99dfad" title="SocialWorkIsEssential_Art_Leonard" data-langcode="en" class="embedded-entity"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/large/public/2021-03/Social%20work%20is%20essential_signed%20ART.png?itok=gJfgWtYQ" alt="Art work titled &quot;Social Work is Essential&quot; " title="SocialWorkIsEssential_Art_Leonard" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <figcaption>MSW '22 student Carolyn Leonard's art depicts a warm figure embracing the various aspects of social work.</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Carolyn Leonard is a student in the </span></span><a href="https://chhs.gmu.edu/program/social-work-msw"><span><span>Master of Social Work</span></span></a><span><span> (MSW) program. In her clinical course with </span></span><a href="https://chhs.gmu.edu/profiles/hmatto"><span><span>Dr. Holly Matto</span></span></a><span><span>, </span></span><a href="https://catalog.gmu.edu/courses/socw/"><span><span>Creative Arts in Social Work</span></span></a><span><span> (SOCW 664), Leonard was prompted to create art based on phrases closely related to the 2021 theme for National Social Work Month. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>March is National Social Work Month, and the theme for this year is: social workers are essential. Today, there are more than 700,000 social workers in the U.S., and the need for the profession continues to grow. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, social work has been more essential than ever in creating resources for underserved communities and being committed to justice and equity</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“As someone coming to social work after having a career in a different discipline, I imagined myself embracing social work, and much of the image quickly developed from there,” she says on her artwork which depicts a warm figure embracing the various aspects of social work in bright colors. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>“It has shown me how diverse, dedicated, smart, and vibrant social workers are,” Leonard remarks on the program.</span></span></span> <span><span><span>The College’s MSW program has allowed her to understand the rich variety of knowledge under social work—from public policy to clinical procedure. Leonard has become more interested in economics and the ways in which it affects different parts of social work. She has met amazing students and has been guided by wonderful faculty, too. Now that she has been grounded in the discipline, she looks forward to her specialist practicum next year. Leonard is expected to graduate in 2022. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Upon completion of the program, Leonard has plans to become a licensed clinical social worker. She also hopes to maintain connections with her local community and government through volunteer work.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/236" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services Department of Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 24 Mar 2021 17:31:40 +0000 Anonymous 2361 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu CHHS Plays Integral Role in Helping Vaccinate Nearly 800 Community Members in Phase 1a and 1b https://socialwork.gmu.edu/news/2021-02/chhs-plays-integral-role-helping-vaccinate-nearly-800-community-members-phase-1a-and <span>CHHS Plays Integral Role in Helping Vaccinate Nearly 800 Community Members in Phase 1a and 1b</span> <span><span lang="" about="/user/271" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">mthomp7</span></span> <span>Mon, 02/01/2021 - 17:56</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="e65ac8dd-0b7f-49b0-882c-b6fac574f8f3" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2021-02/Kania%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=OXVc0gVA" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2021-02/Kania%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=ancVOZvP 768w,/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2021-02/Kania%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=OXVc0gVA 1024w,/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2021-02/Kania%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=UMeYF1_I 1280w," sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic"> </div> </div> <div class="feature-image-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-feature-image-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>CHHS staff volunteer to help the community with COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics for Phase 1a and 1b populations.</p></div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="e23c26af-cf36-4986-ba24-1da0702bc383" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2021-02/Yusef%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=YAX4hqzX" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2021-02/Yusef%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=v4m9IaF_ 768w,/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2021-02/Yusef%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=YAX4hqzX 1024w,/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2021-02/Yusef%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=zrjnt-tr 1280w," sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="Vaccination clinic"> </div> </div> <div class="feature-image-caption"> <div class="field field--name-field-feature-image-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The College supported the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 vaccination clinic to help crush COVID.</p></div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/251" hreflang="en">coronavirus; covid-19</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1046" hreflang="en">CHHS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1611" hreflang="en">School of Nursing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111" hreflang="en">College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/516" hreflang="en">Student Spotlight</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/246" hreflang="en">CHHS News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/lpoms" hreflang="und">Laura Poms, PhD</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/mrodan" hreflang="und">Margaret Rodan, ScD, MSN, MPH</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><div alt="Taylor Paul gives COVID-19 vaccine" data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{&quot;image_style&quot;:&quot;large&quot;,&quot;image_link&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;svg_render_as_image&quot;:1,&quot;svg_attributes&quot;:{&quot;width&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:&quot;&quot;}}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="ddd9433c-d99a-4fc2-8b7d-a40150315f1d" title="Taylor Paul gives COVID-19 vaccine" class="align-right embedded-entity" data-langcode="en"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq281/files/styles/large/public/2021-02/Taylor%20Paul%20Vaccination.JPG?itok=SVonyC7g" alt="Taylor Paul gives COVID-19 vaccine" title="Taylor Paul gives COVID-19 vaccine" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <p><span><span><span>Students from across disciplines in the College <em>of</em> Health and Human Services volunteered to help the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) immunize more than 770 people at a recent two-day clinic held at the George Mason University Fairfax campus. They successfully administered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to in-home daycare providers and other members of the Phase 1a and 1b community.  All appointments were scheduled through the VDH. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span>Serving the community and responding to a pandemic involves a team of committed individuals from a range of professional backgrounds, with students, staff and faculty from across the University and College offering operational support for patient check-in and logistics. </span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span>In addition to providing critical services for the community, students received valuable hands-on experience in public health nursing during a pandemic. Recent Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduate, Taylor Paul, returned to volunteer at the clinic as a way to give back to Mason and to the community.  “Being a nurse during a pandemic provides an opportunity to gain additional experience first-hand,” says Paul.  Nursing faculty were on-hand to help mentor students and new nurses, offering guidance during the fast-paced event.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span>BSN student, Danette Smith, has volunteered at vaccine events with the Medical Reserve Corp, the Mason and Partner Clinics as well as the recent rapid-response clinic at the Fairfax campus. Smith has administered more than 140 vaccines within the community and says, “I am so proud to be part of [Mason’s vaccination] initiative – it has been so well-organized, with zero waste of the vaccine and a highly personal experience for those receiving vaccines. This is history in the making and I am grateful to be part of it.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span>Margie Rodan, faculty in the School of Nursing, extolled the strengths of the Mason nursing students saying, “Our students and graduates are well-prepared for an event like this – we are here to help answer questions and offer our experience </span></span></span>and help resolve this global pandemic<span><span><span>.”</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span>“I volunteered to help with the vaccine clinic because I felt it was a way to help the community become stronger and healthier. I felt a strong pull to help in any way I could to get the vaccines distributed.  The experience very rewarding and I look forward to helping at future GMU COVID Vaccine efforts,” said Christine Kania, Financial Specialist for the College.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span><span>“I enjoyed working with other faculty and staff, most I haven't seen in almost a year, to use our public health skills to get as many people vaccinated as we could. We made so many people happy, knowing they were taking an important step to help end COVID-19. I love putting what I teach about public health into action,” said Laura Wheeler Poms, faculty in the Department of Global and Community Health.</span></span></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span><span><span>In addition to the rapid-response clinic at the Fairfax campus this weekend, <a href="https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/manassas-park-clinic-administers-more-than-500-no-appointment-covid-19-vaccines/article_1a5868a4-62b8-11eb-9107-dfff4b39a40a.html">the Mason and Partner Clinic in Manassas Park vaccinated more than 550 patients</a>.  The MAP Clinic in Manassas Park will hold on-going vaccination events for members of the community in Phase 1a and 1b. Stay tuned for more information on these events.</span></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:56:23 +0000 mthomp7 1731 at https://socialwork.gmu.edu