Fordham University GSS

“I knew I wanted to go into social work by my spring semester of sophomore year. I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do after school that would have a real impact on the world and the people around me, so I took an intro to social work class, and from day one, it was like, ‘Ahhh, this is the field for me.’ One additional year compared to two made a big difference. I don't know if I would have been able to do two more years straight after undergrad, and I think I would have had a really hard time starting back up in school if I had taken some time off. The accelerated program made it so much easier because I already knew the professors, classmates, and how the program works.”

We're rounding out our Class of 2026 Double Ram series with Emma Morino, who found a professional home in social work when she took her Intro to Social Work course as an undergrad. The ability to earn her MSW degree in just 1 year after her bachelor's made graduate school much more feasible, and the profession is much better for it!

Congratulations, Emma! Go set the world on fire!

Congratulations to our incredible Associate Dean and Professor Elaine Congress, DSW, who has been named the recipient of this year's Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)!

"It is wonderful to be recognized for all my work over the years to acquaint and educate others about human rights and our social work perspective, which promotes the respect and inclusion of all. All social workers — whether practitioners, supervisors, researchers, administrators, and/or educators — demonstrate and promote this perspective in their daily work," Dr. Congress said of the achievement.

For over three decades, Dr. Congress has taught Fordham GSS students countless lessons about how to be an effective social worker. More importantly, she has shared with everyone she encounters the intangibles that make up a good life. Her work in and out of the classroom has been integral to our institution's success!

Dr. Congress will formally accept the award at this year's Annual Program Meeting (APM) in October. We can't wait to celebrate with her!

Congratulations, Dr. Congress! So well-deserved!

Carlos Salinas has spent more than three decades fighting for people the world too often forgets.

Whether it be Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon or Jesuit human rights defenders living in hiding, Salinas has touched these communities through his work and has impacted them for the better. And they, he’ll admit, did the same for him.

At the end of the spring semester, Fordham MSW students were lucky enough to hear from Salinas as a guest lecturer. They received a masterclass in real-world advocacy strategies, and reassurance that their work can truly make a difference.

Read more about his visit: https://bit.ly/4xC1rZJ

"Fordham’s commitment to service and social justice is a major part of what makes the Graduate School of Social Service experience so unique. The multiple campuses across New York give students the opportunity to engage with diverse communities and better understand real-world social issues through firsthand experience. The combination of classroom learning and fieldwork helped shape my perspective and strengthened my passion for social work. The phrase ‘New York is my campus, Fordham is my school’ truly reflects the experience of learning not only in the classroom but also through the city and communities around you.”

Congratulations to Meagan Cunney '26 MSW, another 2026 graduate who became a "Double Ram" this spring when she graduated with her MSW in just one year, after graduating from Fordham last year with her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW)!

Leaving Fordham with two degrees in just five years accelerates your career growth as a social worker and allows you to make your impact sooner. We can't wait to watch Meagan thrive in this profession!

Learn more about our BASW program: https://bit.ly/4vAiKsg

PLEASE SHARE!

This Saturday, June 6, from 10 AM – 12 PM, the Graduate School of Social Service will host an open house and information session for anyone interested in pursuing their Fordham MSW at our Westchester campus.

Attendees will receive information on our plans of study and scholarship opportunities, and will also have the opportunity to attend interactive Special MSW Sessions based on their area of interest.

If you know anyone in the area who may be interested, please share the flyer below!

Link to register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/eGemxHDS

“My internship and fellowship experiences helped me connect everything I was learning in the classroom to real-life practice. Another thing that made grad school easier for me was feeling represented and supported. I had professors who looked like me, shared similar stories, and understood the experiences many students of color and first-generation students go through. That representation mattered because it reminded me that success in this field was possible for someone like me, too. Overall, graduate school was definitely not easy, but the people, education, mentorship, and support system I found at Fordham made the experience incredibly meaningful and life-changing.”

Congratulations to Nathaly Fernandez MSW '26, who became a "Double Ram" this spring when she graduated with her MSW in just one year, after graduating from Fordham last year with her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW)!

Advanced Standing students complete the first half of their MSW degree as undergraduate students, allowing them to graduate with their MSW just one year later. This lets them enter the workforce and make their impact sooner. The profession is lucky to have her!

People become social workers for so many reasons.

Maybe they have been impacted by one. Maybe they never had access to one, and want to ensure that doesn’t happen to someone else. Maybe they encountered an unjust system and thought, “Someone needs to do something to change this.”

Whatever the reason, the important thing is they took the leap. They, and all the loved ones supporting them, believed in themselves and in something bigger. And the world will always be better for it.

Every social work student has a story to tell. Here are some pieces of those stories 🎓