KIMBERLY SERVAS RECEIVES NEW YORK STATE SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK SCHOLARSHIP

Fordham GSS MSW student Kimberly Servas, GSS ’23, has been selected as the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service 2022 Scholarship Awardee by the Metropolitan Chapter of the New York State Society for Clinical Social Work (NYSSCSW). Congratulations, Kimberly!

Servas receives this award for the work she conducted on her research paper “Interventions for Student Athletes to Combat Binge and Excessive Drinking.” The paper was submitted to the NYSSCSW by Fordham GSS faculty and administration for its excellence.

Along with academic recognition for her hard work, Servas will receive a $500 scholarship; a membership in the NYSSCSW valid until December 31, 2023; and the opportunity to have her paper published on the NYSSCSW website. She will also be able to participate in a celebratory zoom video presentation with the rest of this year’s winners, which will be aired on YouTube.

We had the chance to ask Servas a few questions about her winning paper, and her experience as an MSW student at GSS.

Why were you interested in writing about this subject?

I have worked with college athletes and after hearing the stories of the drinking that occurs, it was a topic that needs to be addressed. We have very high expectations of our college athletes. The required athletic training combined with rigorous academic requirements leaves very little room to blow off steam, and binge drinking has become a quick fix.

Why do you want to be a social worker?

I have been involved in a number of volunteer programs that help disenfranchised populations such as ABC in Darien and Person to Person. This interaction led me to want to do more to help others. Pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) was a natural progression of this passion.

What does winning this scholarship mean to you?

I appreciated the opportunity to present my paper. It is an important topic that is under addressed in the collegiate community.

Why did you choose Fordham for your MSW experience?

After thorough research of both the online and in person academic programs, Fordham was a good fit for my goals and aspirations, and is well regarded in the social work community.

What’s been the most memorable moment of your MSW experience thus far?

My generalist year placement with Abilis and specifically the program Reach Darien was inspiring. I was given the opportunity to help structure a new program for independent living for young adults with intellectual challenges. I interacted with an amazing group of young people who were living independently for the first time.

What are your career aspirations for after graduation?

I haven’t decided yet if I will focus on clinical social work for individual/group therapy, or focus on advocacy to help change a number of social issues that face our community.