“Graduates leave here ready, capable and grounded in the values of social work.”
On May 12 at the RIC School of Social Work end-of-year celebration in Roberts Hall, 41 bachelor’s degree recipients earned cords and 70 master’s degree students participated in a formal hooding ceremony.
Opening the event, Dean Samuel Terrazas said that “it is an exciting time to be a social worker due to the advancements in technology that will allow us to solve and change resistant social welfare problems.”
“We have great faith that you will all serve ethically, professionally and with resolve.”
RIC President Jack Warner followed Terrazas’ remarks, noting that the School of Social Work not only continues to grow in enrollment but in its reach and influence.
“That growth speaks to the strength of your programs, the dedication of your faculty and the importance of the work you do every day,” he said. “Graduates leave here ready, capable and grounded in the values of social work, which includes compassion, advocacy and a commitment to social justice.”
Those values are reflected in graduates like Karen Zuñiga and Claudia Cooper.
Zuñiga, who is earning her M.S.W., said that through RIC’s social work program she learned about the power of reflection. Zuñiga is director of residence services for One Neighborhood Builders, an affordable housing group in Providence.
“One of my biggest takeaways from my experience at RIC has been the importance of reflection, not just as an academic exercise, but as a lifelong practice,” she said. “Social work asks you to constantly think critically about your assumptions, your positionality and the systems influencing the people you serve,” she says.
After graduating, Zuñiga plans to pursue licensure and continue strengthening her clinical skills.
“Long term, I hope to help build models of care and community development that are deeply resident-centered, equitable and transformative,” she says. “I’m especially interested in reimagining communities as places not only of stability, but of healing, joy and opportunity.”
Cooper, who is earning a B.S.W., said she relishes the chance to grow in the field of social work.
“In this field, we are continually enhancing our skills to better serve communities,” she said. “There is no perfect or fixed approach.”
Cooper, a Providence native whose family hails from Liberia, plans to go on and earn a M.S.W. from RIC. Her advice to prospective students is to build connections with faculty and peers.
“Social work can be a challenging experience but it’s important to establish a supportive network,” she said. “That’s what I’ve had at RIC.”