Thanks to the generosity of our donors, NYU Silver graduates are applying their knowledge and skills to enhance the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.
As their stories demonstrate, the scholarships and grants they received – such as those from the Moving Forward Fund and donations to the Zelda Foster Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care – made the difference that enabled them to go on to change lives.
“Applying for licensure is a stressful process due to the finances needed and studying material,” said Arlys Tineo, MSW ’21. “Silver’s Moving Forward Fund helped me in paying licensing exam fees and made my licensure process a little less stressful.” Arlys is currently a social worker for JCCA’s Helping Hands for Families (HHF) Preventive program, which focuses on families with mental illness and/or substance use disorder. She said that her Silver education prepared her well for this critical work. “Throughout my time at Silver, every professor entered the classroom with vast experience in the field. Professors were able to connect the learning content to examples in real-life cases future social workers would encounter. This helped me immensely in understanding the content and how to apply it in practice.” Arlys thanked the donors who made her Moving Forward Fund Grant possible and said, “It’s never been more important to support future social workers who will be going out into the profession working with vulnerable populations.”
Nicole Theodore, MSW ’22, is now an Inpatient Clinical Social Worker at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she provides counseling to individuals and families impacted by cancer, and co-facilitates a support group for colorectal cancer patients who have completed treatment. Nicole felt uniquely prepared by the scholarship, specialized training, and mentorship she received as an MSW Fellow in Silver’s Zelda Foster Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PELC). “The tailored coursework and educational opportunities helped me build specialized clinical skills needed to support clients and families throughout the entire illness trajectory,” said Nicole. She expressed gratitude to all the donors who make scholarships like the one she received possible. “Thank you for championing PELC social work! With our aging population continuing to outpace available resources, your contributions help Silver’s Zelda Foster Studies Program usher in the next wave of PELC social workers so desperately needed.”
Thanks to Silver’s Moving Forward Fund, Emely Herasme, MSW ’21, was able to afford her licensing exam fee and become a Licensed Master Social Worker. Emely currently works as a bilingual clinician, providing individual, family, and group therapy for undocumented children at Cayuga Centers, a non-profit organization in Auburn, NY. “NYU Silver greatly prepared me for my current position,” she said. “As a clinician, I am able to apply the interventions and evidence-based practices I learned in graduate school to my actual practice and sessions with children.” Emely expressed appreciation to all the donors who support the Moving Forward Fund “as it allows prospective graduates, social workers, and future colleagues to literally move forward in their careers. The Fund really is a push to help boost future social workers into the field. The gesture really does go a long way!”
Zelda Foster Studies Program MSW Fellow Kaila Robertson, MSW ’21, is now a Social Worker in the Post COVID-19 Recovery Program at Westchester Medical Center, where she draws on what she has learned through the fellowship to help patients who are seriously ill as a result of the coronavirus. Kaila was selected for the fellowship just after the pandemic hit in March 2020. “I thought about dropping out of school when I lost my jobs due to COVID, but then I received a scholarship through the fellowship. I will never be able to thank the Zelda Foster Studies Program enough for the support, learning, and camaraderie I found.” With public health experts saying pandemics like COVID-19 will become more frequent in the future, Kaila thanked the donors who support the fellowship’s scholarship fund. “This pandemic alone has shortened life expectancy and created massive numbers of acutely and chronically ill people,” she said. “Now more than ever, we need trained professionals who can advocate for communities in need, work towards health equity, and support those who are sick or dying.”
Sheryl Hugh, MSW ’21, now a Mental Health Therapist at New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center, used a Silver Moving Forward Fund grant for both her graduation attire and licensing exam registration fee. “It’s definitely useful,” Sheryl said of the Moving Forward Fund, “especially for individuals like me who were unable to have a means of income and couldn’t continue work-study positions or even part-time jobs in the final semester due to the pandemic, the lack of remote positions available, and having to focus on preparing for job interviews, while simultaneously preparing for finals and the licensing exam.” Sheryl encourages members of the NYU Silver community to help replenish the fund for future Silver grads.