Graduate
student awarded social work scholarship
By
Grace Choung
On-line Forty-Niner
First-year
graduate student in social work, Jacqueline
Apuzzo, was awarded a 2004 Social Work Scholarship
by the National Association of Social Workers,
Region I chapter of California.
Apuzzo
was presented with the award at the chapter
dinner that is held annually in March in
conjunction with National Professional Social
Workers Month. The $400 scholarship is awarded
to one outstanding student in each of the
five schools of social work within Region
I. The Region I group is comprised of social
workers who serve the Los Angeles County
areas of East Los Angeles, the San Gabriel
Valley and the South Bay-Long Beach.
The
selection of scholarship recipients is based
upon their promise as future social workers
and/or the contributions they have made
to their schools, student body or community.
“Jacqueline
has a strong work ethic, excellent communication
skills and an ability to interact with individuals
who have diverse perspectives,” said
Eileen Mayers Pasztor, Apuzzo’s professor
for the introduction to social welfare course
at Cal State Long Beach.
As
part of Apuzzo’s scholarship recommendation
essay, Pasztor wrote, “She [Apuzzo]
is focused and goal directed. She can be
counted on to go the extra mile, even in
challenging situations…Jacqueline
brings honor to our profession. So it is
fitting that she should be honored as well.”
Apuzzo
earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary
studies from Cal State Dominguez Hills in
May 2003, but already has a significant
amount of experience in the social work
profession. Her employment history reflects
a strong commitment to human services and
advocacy.
For
the past 10 years, Apuzzo has served children,
adolescents and adults as a mental health
worker in a hospital setting. During the
last five years, she has worked as a domestic
violence group facilitator. In addition
to her work as a facilitator, she has been
the coordinator for the California Work
Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program
within a community mental health agency
for the last four years.
As
the group’s coordinator, Apuzzo is
involved in program development, training,
supervision of the outreach and employment
staff, collaboration with other public agencies
and consultation to the clinical staff at
five clinics that serve more than 500 clients.
A critical part of her role is coordinating
service delivery.
Apuzzo
works with a network of system providers
such as the Department of Mental Health
and the Department of Public Social Services
to ensure proper delivery of services to
her clients.
“I
am motivated by the complexity of political,
social and other issues that are involved
with social work,” Apuzzo said “It’s
not only delivering treatment but also being
an advocate for the patients.”
In
her scholarship nomination essay, Apuzzo
wrote about why she chose the social work
profession.
“It
is consistent with my values, experience
and skills. I find it to be rewarding
both personally and professionally, but
most importantly, I believe there is a tremendous
need for social workers given the current
social, political and economic trends.”
“Today’s
unprecedented social problems such as poverty,
drug abuse and oppression require effective
and thoughtful leadership on all levels,”
Apuzzo wrote.
“Social
work has the potential to make a dramatic
difference.
|
