Alumni - Department of Social Work

Will Sloyer ’21 Project Coordinator

Messiah’s program prepared me well for success in grad school and in my career. Most of all, I grew as a person both intellectually and spiritually for the better.

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Madalynne Behm ’21 Inpatient Social Worker at Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center

Faith greatly impacts my works as a social worker. When working in an environment where patients are extremely ill, I utilize social work to guide my self care practice. Personally, engaging in prayer, song, and meditation is the most beneficial form of self care.

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Joy Hammond ’21 Intern for Meals on Wheels of Lancaster and United Way of Lancaster

Messiah's Social Work Department prepared me for the personal hardships and ethical situations that I may encounter and how to work through them professionally. The coursework and the field itself can be overwhelming when you haven't taken the time for self-care. Practicing self-care is your professional and ethical responsibility as a humanities worker to lessen burnout when working with clients.

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Eli McCabe ’20 Policy Analyst at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

Invest in your Social Work toolbox. Gather resources, theories, best-practices, etc. and start to compile a list. There will be countless times in the field where you will want to apply something you learned in the classroom to a real life situation. You will never regret being over-prepared.

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Lindsay Terry ’20 Caseworker at Dauphin County Children and Youth

I have found that professionalism isn’t always common knowledge, and I am forever grateful for how the Department prepared me to always present myself as a confident professional.

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Erin Herzog ’20 Psychotherapist for Callen Lorde Community Health Center

Messiah gave me a foundation of interpersonal skills that enabled me to work effectively with people.

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Julia Pearson ’20 Clinical Therapist at Valley Counseling Center

I left Messiah feeling competent and capable as a Social Worker. My Masters was a breeze due to being prepared well at Messiah.

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Aileen Gummow ’19 Medical Oncology Social Worker

Messiah's social work department prepared me for clinical documentation via diligent coursework. Field placements allowed for a wide variety introduction to the field and gain clinical experience prior to grad school.

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Emma Dougherty ’19 Behavioral Health Specialist at Educational Data Systems Inc.

After graduation, I worked in the field for a year before pursuing my MSW full time. I worked as a part-time Victim Advocate for the Victim Services Division of the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office, which allowed me to walk alongside individuals victimized by crime as they experienced the justice system.

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Jessica Becker Lawson ’19 Assistant Housing Coordinator & Resident Director for Erskine College

Messiah’s social work department helped me develop the people and problem solving skills that I use everyday. It is not easy to walk into difficult situations, but they helped me develop the confidence and the skills to do so.

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Nora Nworu ’19 Volunteer & Internship Coordinator

Messiah’s Social Work Department prepared me in many ways. My internships allowed me to have a real taste for what it would be like working in the Social Work field come graduation.

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Abby Noll ’18 Pet Help Specialist

I was able to apply the classroom material to real life situations through internships throughout my time at Messiah. I learned and took away important lessons from all of my classes.

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Julia Van Der Hulst ’18 Director of Social Work

My time in the Messiah College Social Work Department, though brief, prepared me in more ways than I could have ever imagined in terms of my education, vocation, and faith.

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Kholiwe Wyatt ’16 Case Coordinator

To prospective students; I can tell you without a doubt that Social Work is one of the most varied and sought-after fields of study you can pursue. I have Social Work friends and colleagues who work in therapy, education, criminal justice, data analysis, politics, and other fields that I could continue to name.

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Ellen Brandenburg ’16 Social Worker for Co-Ed Adolescent Mood Disorders Crisis Stabilization Speciality Unit

Messiah’s Social Work Department took an unconfident freshman, and cultivated my voice and abilities so that today I can be a confident and skilled clinician who is striving to be excellent and who is still continuing to develop. Without the deep-seated commitment of this Department, I wouldn’t be as professionally and personally grounded as I am today.

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Caitlin Landis Lobach ’13 Family Connections Liaison

I loved the small class size and getting to know everyone. I appreciated that we could incorporate our faith into the classes as well.

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Sarah Swankler ’13 Program Director at Brethren Housing Association

I think the best advise I can offer is to take full advantage of every opportunity you are presented with while you are a student at Messiah. There will be field experience opportunities, service opportunities, and social gatherings - do it all!

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Tara Piechowicz ’12 Vice President of GSL Government Consulting

Messiah’s Social Work Department prepared me for a vast range of professional opportunities, from clinical to macro-level practice. I still use direct practice skills in my day-to-day and my understanding of, and appreciation for, the policy process. I can honestly say that my social work education was one of the best decisions of my life.

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Heather LaRocca ’05 Director of New Day to Stop Trafficking Program

The Social Work department helped prepare me in thinking through my own Christian beliefs and helping me synthesize them with the Social Work profession. It gave me a great foundation in social work practice that I was then able to apply to my work.

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Elisabeth Bean ’02 School Social Worker

There are so many fields and options, a variety of settings and populations you can work with

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Beth Clark-Byers ’91 Clinical Psychiatric Specialist

I enjoyed doing practicums in diverse environments. I also thought it was helpful to study with professors from various backgrounds.

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Karol Taylor ’72 Federal Career Counselor and Program Advisor

I was eligible to enter grad school without taking any prerequisites. I held professional jobs from the October after I graduated until the present with no lapses.

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