The Undergraduate Social Welfare Alliance (USWA) acts as a representative body of all students within the undergraduate program. We act as a voice for students and seek to establish an engaged community connected to our program and University. To be in touch with any of the officers, email: sbu.uswa@gmail.com.
In addition to USWA, there are also BSW Student Representatives who are the voice for their classmates. They represent the BSW students at SSW committee meetings that are chaired by faculty.
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Hi there! My name is Emily, and I am a senior at Stony Brook University in the School of Social Welfare. I am a transfer student from Adelphi University, and after taking an introductory Social Work class, I found this profession was the perfect place for me! Throughout my time at Stony Brook’s School of Social Welfare and as Junior Representative of USWA, I have participated in several advocacy projects and attended many faculty meetings, which have helped me gain insight into professional social work. My career aspirations are to advocate for the needs of clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as work with LGBTQIA+ youth in a school setting. I look forward to engaging with students and seeing our program grow!
Hello! My name is Percy, and I’m a senior in Stony Brook University’s Social Welfare program. I transferred from Suffolk County Community College, where I majored in Women and Gender Studies and Human Services. During my time in community college, I discovered the Social Work profession and the numerous opportunities the field has to offer. During my time at Stony Brook, I have discovered that this field is perfect for me and has so much to offer! For my internship this year, I will be in the LGBTQIA+ Center on Stony Brook’s main side of campus, where I will help organize various events on campus. My goals for my future are to work with runaway/homeless LGBTQIA+ Youth on a community/mezzo level. I am so excited to work with the incoming students and my fellow seniors during this upcoming school year.
Hi everyone! My name is Nicole, and I am a senior Social Work student at Stony Brook University. Originally coming to Stony Brook as a pre-nursing major, I soon found my passion was elsewhere. My interest and devotion to the field have continued to grow with every class I take within the program. For my internship this year, I will be in the Engineering Department, specifically working with Mechanical Engineering Graduate Students. Our focus is on bridging the gap between STEM courses and the importance of mental health and self-care. In my career, my ultimate goal is to be part of the policy-making process. Many of the challenges our clients face are rooted in policy, and it is our job as social workers to contribute to advances in legislation. I’m very excited to work with our incoming and current students and grow USWA!
Hello, everyone! My name is Hais, and I am a senior Social Work student at Stony Brook University in the School of Social Welfare. I am a transfer student from Suffolk Community College. After taking a year off and working, I soon found my passion for social work through working with kids with disabilities and complex medical needs. Through my time at Stony Brook, I have grown in my interest and devotion to policy and community organizing. For my internship this year, I will be working with Brighter Tomorrows. I will be working with women and children who have experienced interpersonal violence. Brighter Tomorrows provides shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, housing options, and financial literacy. In my career, I hope to advocate for and work with communities and policymakers to create legislation that supports victims of sexual assault and interpersonal violence. Social workers need to have a seat at the table in the legislative and policy process to contribute to advancing laws and legislation. As a future social worker, I am overjoyed to work with and learn from the incoming and current classes and continue to watch USWA grow.
Hey Everyone! My name is John Grijalva, and I’m a senior at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare. I graduated with my Associate's degree in Liberal Arts at 17 years old through a dual enrollment high school, and now find myself at Stony Brook University! My passion for social work stems from my upbringing in the South Bronx, a neighborhood often neglected by city officials and heavily impacted by poverty, systemic inequality, gun violence, and gang activity. Growing up in an environment like this always inspired me to challenge the systems that perpetuate injustices. Although I am currently in school to become a social worker, my ultimate goal is to become a civil and human rights lawyer, using the law as a tool to fight for justice, dismantle oppressive systems, and empower communities like the one I come from. This school year, I will be interning at the Long Island Immigration Clinic, where I will be assisting immigrants with the process of obtaining work authorization and seeking asylum. I am excited to manage USWA’s social media pages and work with the e-board!
Greetings, everyone! My name is Grace, and I’m a senior Social Work student at Stony Brook. Social work has always been a natural path for me, driven by my passion for human connection and commitment to social justice. At Stony Brook, I served in the inaugural Empire State Service Corps, completing 300 hours with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. I also participated in a United Nations forum of social workers and received a $400 Contribution Project grant through Cornell University to create a self-care kit for the School of Social Welfare’s Wellness Room. These experiences, along with the education I’ve received, have deepened my dedication to advocacy, especially in the areas of youth mental health and life transitions. This year, I’m interning at the Cleary School for the Deaf, where I look forward to building my skills in working with children with disabilities as I prepare for a future as a clinical social worker. As senior class representative, I am excited to be an advocate and represent our senior cohort with pride!
Hi, friends! My name is Kamilah, and I am a senior Social Welfare student! Growing up around social welfare systems allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the value of Social Work, ultimately guiding me towards the profession. Throughout my time at Stony Brook, I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on discussions at the United Nations, conduct independent research about the impact of systemic injustice, and serve on multiple committees, including the NASW-NY chapter. As a future practitioner, I aim to assist individuals with severe psychiatric disorders in navigating their path towards stability and healing. I am so excited to meet the incoming class and help in any way possible!
Hi all, my name is Fiorela, and I am a senior in the social welfare program at Stony Brook University. I originally came to Stony Brook with the intention of becoming an applied mathematics and statistics major, and while I enjoy numbers and the world of mathematics, I began questioning my plans for the future. I realized that I wanted something that enabled the development of my community, and this was when I took a look into the social work program and fell in love with the diversity of opportunities that are possible when diving into it! Education is something that I have grown an immense amount of appreciation for and have realized the value that it holds as a tool for success. As a key component to live a fulfilling and enjoyable life, education should be available to all. This is why I want to work in disproportionately disadvantaged communities, and I plan to work in case management for youth and continue my advocacy for educational opportunities for all at the state level. |
Emily Hocker, President
Percy Halpern, Vice President
Nicole DePasquale, Secretary
Hais Montville, Treasurer 
John Grijalva, Social Media Manager/Public Relations
Grace Kennedy, Senior Class Representative
Kamilah Pasha, Senator
Fiorela Garcia, Event Coordinator
