The School of Social Work held its eighth annual Field Education Awards Ceremony on April 5 to celebrate the hard work and commitment by students and agency partners. The event took place at the Live Oak Event Center and recognized six students and community partners for their exemplary performance during the academic year. Awardees were nominated by their peers and field supervisors.
“The field awards are our school’s opportunity to highlight and celebrate the selfless work of social workers and the impact they have on our community,” says Instructor and Director of Field Education Robin Pisano. “We received a robust and diverse pool of nominated students and agency supervisors this year. It was moving to read the ballots. It is important to elevate and recognize the difficult, and sometimes emotionally taxing work our students do in serving vulnerable populations within the community. Our students are unpaid interns who balance work, school, and internship hours. Our community partners volunteer their time to support and educate students, on top of already busy workloads.”
Field education is a requirement for students attaining a degree in social work. Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students must complete 420 hours, Master of Social Work (MSW) generalist students must complete 400 hours and Master of Social Work (MSW) clinical students must complete 600 hours. The School of Social Work partners with more than 850 agencies in both the U.S. and overseas for students to complete their required hours. The sites are comprised of non-profit, government, healthcare, and educational facilities. On average, 80% of students receive an offer of employment from their practicum sites.
Congratulations to the 2024 awardees:
- BSW Student of the Year – Karlyn Ivey (intern at Orlando Health REACH)
- MSW Generalist Student of the Year – JaNyia Jurineack (Intern with Orange County Public Schools at Silver Pines Academy)
- MSW Clinical Student of the Year – Charlotte Melton (Intern with Rollins College Counseling Center)
- BSW Agency Supervisor of the Year – Nirvana Muniz (Grace Medical Home)
- MSW Agency Supervisor of the Year – Jose Lopez, Jr. (Orlando VA)
- Agency of the Year – Innovation Montessori School
