“After my first class with Professor Gangemi, I told her I did not know if I was cut out to be a social worker. That's no longer a concern. This program has allowed me the opportunity to explore my strengths and weakness while preparing me for the profession.”

Noah is a nontraditional Bachelor of Social Work student graduating this spring. After graduation, he will be jumping right into the Master of Social Work Advanced Standing Program. His long-term goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and open an animal rescue that incorporates rescues into therapy. His mission statement is to wake up every day excited for the day and go to bed satisfied with what he accomplished. He strives every day to make his mission a reality.
 

“It’s a humbling honor and privilege to be nominated as the first-ever MSW Outstanding Student of the Year. While doing my Master of Social Work degree program at UCCS, I have improved various skills, including anti-oppressive social work practice, ethics, how to provide trauma-informed services efficiently, and scholarly writing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at UCCS, and while part of that can be attributed to the course material itself, my positive experience primarily stems from the guidance and support offered to me by the program faculty. Taking classes such as Trauma and Violence, Psychopathology and Trauma, and Social Work Practice with Service Members educated me on how trauma affects us differently. My internship with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience - Veterans Health and Trauma Clinic further cemented my desire to work with veterans and their families. My goal is to focus on social justice issues with an emphasis on treating trauma. Upon graduation, I will be relocating to Virginia where I hope to get my licensure and intend to continue serving our veterans and their families.”

Originally from The Kingdom of Eswatini in Southern Africa, Gcinile began her social service career as a community development associate at World Vision International-Eswatini where she worked for three years before relocating to the United States. She then began her academic career at Lincoln University of Missouri where she completed her Bachelor of Social Work degree. While at Lincoln, she was a board member at Faith Voices for Jefferson City where they specialized in policy change and social justice advocacy. She also interned at Catholic Charities where she worked with refugees and assisted them with finding accommodation, getting necessary U.S documentation, and understanding American culture. As part of her social work development, she worked for the Missouri Department of Mental Health as a forensic rehabilitation specialist in the state's maximum security state hospital. Upon graduation, she relocated to three more states before coming to Colorado. While applying for master's programs in North Carolina where she was residing at the time, they received military orders for the beautiful state of Colorado. While looking for schools here, she came across UCCS and found that they offered an advanced standing Master of Social Work degree. She was thrilled to receive the acceptance letter and to learn that she could finish her Master of Social Work (MSW) in three semesters which was both exciting and challenging. While at UCCS, she completed her internship with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience - Veterans Health and Trauma Clinic.