Student Spotlights
MSW Capstone 2020 Awardees
1st Place
Christie Leung (FT)"Preparing Social Workers for CulturallyResponsive End of Life Care With Asian-Americans"
Gizelle Roldan (PT)"The Impact of Social Media on Community Engagement Within the Homeless Services Sector"
2nd Place
Gabriella Martinez (FT)"Legal Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault: A Needs Assessment for the Development of Peer Programing"
Eunice Chen (PT)"The Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Programs for Social Isolation Among Older Adults"
3rd Place
Selene Boyd (FT)"Harm-Reduction for Cannabis Use: A Workshop for Helping Professionals Serving Adolescents"
David Carrillo (PT)"Effectiveness of a Directive Sandtray Treatment Group in a State Psychiatric Setting"
Honorable Mention
Monique Brito
John Contreras
Belen Gonzalez
Kristi Hazama
Samantha Paz
Elise Rahn
Top Left: Christie Leung - Top Middle: Gizelle Roldan - Top Right: Gabriella Martinez
Bottom Left: Eunice Chen - Bottom right: Selene Boyd
David Carrillo Not Pictured.
BSW Graduate Awards 2020
OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD
Daniel Montoya (top left)
SPIRIT OF SOCIAL WORK
AWARD
Jennifer Crandall (top right)
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
AWARD
Seth Zomermaand (bottom left)
INSPIRATIONAL STUDENT
AWARD
Jeremiah Jones (bottom right)
Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC) Students
Azusa Pacific University is a member of the Southern California Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC) which provides a directed social work field education experience with training for students who want to develop skills in working with older adults and their families. Currently, GSWEC offers internship opportunities with hospital settings, outpatient care management, veterans’ facilities, behavioral health, substance abuse, dementia patients and caregivers, and more. Specialization year students, in either the clinical or community specializations, are eligible to apply for this program, which offers a stipend with no work/payback requirement.
Back Row, l-r: Jorge Vasquez, Elisa Jimenez, Joanna Harvey, Melaney Torres.
Others not in photo: Rodolfo Gaytan-Ramos, Kristine Guzman, Bridgett Cabrera, Juan Ortega.
Isabella Jimenez, BSW '21
Joni Eareckson Tada Scholarship Recipient
We are pleased to announce that Isabella Jimenez is the recipient of the $3500 Joni Eareckson Tada Scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year. Isabella's application essay demonstrated her passion and commitment to work with persons with disabilities. She will complete an internship next year in that area.
While many choose to turn a blind eye to the growing homeless crisis in the greater Los Angeles area, senior Daniel Montoya decided to use his college education to make a difference. Montoya was recently awarded the Hatfield Prize by the Center for Public Justice (CPJ) to conduct research on the reintegration of families who have experienced chronic homelessness and are living or have lived under the permanent supportive housing model. Montoya will receive a $5,000 grant to fund his research under the guidance of faculty advisor Anupama Jacob, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Social Work. Findings from their semester-long research project will publish in a public policy report by the CPJ.
Upward Bound: BSW
Students Provide College Preparation for Azusa Students
Three BSW students participated as Summer Academy Leaders in TRiO Upward Bound (UB), a federally funded program that supports 60 students at APU each year in their preparation for college admission. Seth Zommerman, Saxon Guitierrez and Daniel Montoya used their social work training to weekly impact individual groups of six to eight first-generation Azusa students in socio-emotional, college, and career-related group activities and discussions.
Congratulations, MSW Macro Award Students!
Rosemary Baraja, MSW ‘21 and Juan Ortega, MSW ‘20, each received the 2019-20 Outstanding Macro Student Award of $500.
As a current BSW senior (graduating in December), Sarah shares about her experience as interim executive director of social services, Salvation Army Pasadena Corp, particularly related to the Salvation Army Homeless Connect* event. Before taking the position, she thought “I am not ready to fulfill a role like that for a long time.”
Congratulations!
Dominique Bowie, BSW '20,
has been selected as the Student Representative of Southern California for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She will represent the interests of social work students in all of Southern California university and college social work programs to the NASW.
Daniel Montoya, BSW '20,
recieved the inaugural recipient of the $500 Patterson Resiliency Award.
BSW Honors 2018-2019
Spirit of Social Work
Lillie Mascott (top right)
Most Inspirational Student
Martha Floyd (top left)
Outstanding Field Intern
Vintsy Medel (bottom right)
Outstanding Student
Breana Schricker (bottom left)
MSW Honors 2018-2019
Most Inspirational Student
Jessica Parris (FT)
Brandee Stepp (PT)
Outstanding Capstone Projects
Micaela Tracy (FT)
Kayla Walkemeyer (PT)
Outstanding Students
Mary Bohorquez (AS)
Emily Kemp (FT)
Mayra Pizeno (PT)
*PT - Part time; FT - Full time; AS- Advanced standing
Top left- Jessica Parris (with Regina Trammel, faculty); Bottom left- Emily Kemp (with Donna Gallup, faculty); Top middle- Micaela Tracy (with Donna Gallup, faculty); Bottom middle- Mary Bohorquez (with Jean Un, faculty); Top right- Brandee Stepp (with Regina Trammel, faculty); Middle right- Mayra Pizeno (with Karen Maynard, faculty); Bottom right- Kayla Walkemeyer (with Olivia Sevilla, faculty)
Outstanding MSW Field Supervisor
Jhoana Hirasuna
Outstanding MSW Field Agency
Foothill Presbyterian Hospital
represented by Nicole Wood
Left to right attendees and winners:
Stephanie Esquivel (2nd place)
Mikaela Armstrong
Breana Schricker (3rd place)
Itati Osorio
Elenoa Tupouniua
Taylor Johnson
Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) Student Research Awards
Six BSW seniors were invited to participate in the student research poster competition at the 2019 national Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) conference. We continued our historically strong track record with two students honored with the second and third place student research awards.
International Social Work Teams
The Department of Social Work, for its third consecutive year, under the leadership of Dr. Shaynah Neshama, sent teams abroad to learn and practice social work internationally.
Kenya
Left to right: Cassandra Gonzales (‘19), Gloria Mendez (‘19), Helen Nazarian (faculty), Kenberly Ferguson (‘20), Brandy Linares (‘19)
Ecuador
Left to right: Back - Kiante McKinley (BSW ‘20), Jay Ruan (‘20), Margarita Reyes (‘19), Josephina Sierra (senior adjunct)
Front - Chandi Joshi (‘18), Kayla Walkemeyer (BSW ‘16. MSW ‘19) , Carla Sandoval (‘19), Krista Rodriguez (‘21)
Our first five awardees, l-r: Emily Kemp, Micaela Tracy, Omar Williams, Cristina Lopez, Brandy Linares
Certificate in Human Services Management from the Network for Social Work Management now offered by the MSW Program
MSW/BSW Students
at 2019 Lobby Days
Connie writes about her International Social Work experience in Ecuador the summer of 2019. She is pictured above with her team, as well as the Kenya team, that traveled at the same time.
Top row, l-r:
Bottom row, l-r:
Congratulations APU Macro Students for the CSH Award 2018!
Congrats to five APU macro students who each received a $1,000 stipend for participating in the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) MSW intern program. From left to right-Brenda Ventura, Mayra Pizeno, Omar Williams, Amy Quiroz, Annie Camara.
From a very young age I learned the innate interconnectedness of a life led by faith and the indisputable commission to advocate for justice....
Click on Courtneys name above to read more on her article!
" Here we are social workers gathering to practice gratitude . Reflecting on our blessings, being mindful of our attitude. We understand the depravity that pervades humanity. It weighs on our conscious, threatens our own sanity. But through the trials and through the struggles we face, we know for Gods unfailing grace."
Congratulations BSW Phi Alpha Honor Society Members for 2018!
l-r: Sarah Bedore, Kelsey Burgess, Micaiah Mahan, Kelley McGill, Logan Ramirez, Daphne Rosales, Heather Turner, Blanca Vazquez
Click here to see BSW Phi Alpha Honor Society members from 2016 and 2017!
Congratulations to the BSW and MSW Awardees for 2018!
BSW Awardees
Spirit of Social Work:
Guillermo Pichardo, with Program Director Barbara Johnson, MSW, LCSW and Angelina Sagapolu '18 (top left)
Most Inspirational Student:
Kendall Marlow (top right)
Outstanding Field Intern:
Yesenia Islas (middle left)
Outstanding Student:
Heather Turner (bottom left, with Amy Tauati, acting BSW program director)
Sarah Bedore (bottom right)
MSW Awardees
Most Inspirational Student:
Claudia Cuevas, PT* (top left, with faculty, Karen Maynard and Olivia Sevilla)
Ashley Greenway, FT* (top middle)
Erika Sethi, AS* (top right)
Outstanding Capstone Projects:
Elisa Gaytan, PT (middle left)
Janer Joy Muelle, FT (middle right)
Outstanding Student:
Ashley Greenway, FT (top middle)
Stephanie Nimatuj, AS (bottom left, with faculty Karen Maynard)
Roxanna Prado, PT (bottom right, with faculty Virginia Olivas)
Congratulations to the 2017-18 Title IV-E/UCCF Stipend Cohort
l-r: Dayana Campos, Cristina Guevara, Armani Johnson, Yoyce Pichardo, Karina Salcedo, Guadalupe Sanchez-Magana
Congratulations to the 2016-17 Title IV-E/UCCF Stipend Cohort
l-r: Trudy Garcia, Adriana Locklin, Geraldine Medrano, Lisa Perdue, Henna Cho, Yesenia Sosa, Valencia Ferrell
Lauren is a junior BSW Club Social Work president, who has done an exceptional job this year in event planning and student engagement. The purpose of the club is to establish connection between the various cohorts of students and faculty.
Club Social Work board from left to right: Itati Osorio, Melissa Banuelos, Taylor Johnson, Jessica Millot, Lauren Wranosky, Daphne Rosales, Haley Ketola, and Edward Guerrero
Photo, l-r: Anna, Ayn Cruz, Elisa Gaytan, Jennifer Clear, Lucy Valencia, Chandni Joshi
MSW Veterans Giving Back
Although Bryan Brewer and Aurelio Sanchez did not meet until starting the MSW program, they quickly found they had a lot in common!
Photo of 2015-16 cohort l-r: D. Guadamuz, T. Cendejas, D. Gonzalez, C. Lim, G.Diaz, M. Moran, J. Martinez
People say the view from the mountaintop is worth the climb, and I wholeheartedly agree. What I had not anticipated, however, was how difficult the climb could be - or how limitless the possibilities could be once I reached the peak.
Throughout my internship this year I find myself reflecting on my dear friend Jenn, who was diagnosed with colon cancer when only twenty-seven...
As a lifelong Azusa resident, I always had a desire to attend Azusa Pacific University. However, after graduating from Azusa High School I decided to serve our great country in the U.S. Air Force.
As a first generation college student, I knew attending and completing college would not only be a great accomplishment for me, but an accomplishment for my entire family.
I [was a] senior in the BSW Program. I am an Angelino, born and raised in Mid-City, Los Angeles and the experience of growing up in LA is what first interested me in social work...
Azusa Pacific University | Social Work Department | Alumni Services | 901 E. Foothill Blvd. Azusa, CA 91702 | (626) 815-6000 | socialworkalumni@apu.edu