SPRING 2017

V O L U M E 1 3 , I S S U E 2

Dear Friends,
A Word from the Chair
We have had a great year in the Department of Social Work and Gerontology!
Twenty-one wonderful Social Work students became alumnae on May 20, 2017. In
addition, the junior Social Work majors in the Human Behavior and the Social
Environment II class (SW 236) completed an Academic Experiential Learning
opportunity at St. Margarets House in South Bend through training and guidance
provided by Kathryn Schneider, Executive Director, and Sister Betty Smoyer,
SND, Assistant Coordinator of Volunteers and Guest Services Coordinator. This
course developed and implemented a Community Forum focusing on youth
homelessness that was organized and implemented by Social Work students in the
SW 236 class. The students brought the community together to dialogue on this
very important issue.
I wish you the very best. We cannot do this without your help. Please continue to
keep in touch throughout the year.
Take care.
Fran Kominkiewicz Left: Panelists from the
South Bend Community,
Ebony Haynes, St. Mar-
Social Work garets House; Christin
Community Forum on Kolski, Center for the
Homeless; and Brady
Youth Homelessness August, Youth Service
Bureau.

Gerontology Luncheon

On April 26, eighteen seniors were awarded their certificate of completion for the gerontology minor at the Gerontology Luncheon.
The gerontology minor is interdisciplinary in scope and is open to every academic major. Seniors graduating with the gerontology
minor pursued a major in Communication Science Disorders (CSD), Nursing, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Work and Sociology.
In addition to their certificate of completion four seniors were honored with special awards. The Academic Excellence Award was
presented to Mary Margaret Canady (CSD) & Crystal Niemeyer (Psych), the Gerontology Award was presented to Emily OBrien
(SW) (pictured left), and the Leadership Award was presented to Hannah Beach (CSD) (pictured right).
Gerontology Advisory Board member John Bruinsma, Senior Services Navigator, Community Outreach/Partnership, St. Joseph
Health Systems, along with the faculty and staff from the Department of Social Work and Gerontology attended this event.
 Notes from the Field
What is your personal mission statement? Mission, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is some-
thing that states the purpose or goal of a business or organization. For the Social Work Pro-
fession, the mission can take on a deeper meaning. I have asked students this question for
the past nine years in the Social Work Practicum Seminar Class. Many students have ex-
pressed to me that is a difficult question to answer. I explain to the student that it is not
enough to say, I want to help people. The challenge of writing the statement increased
since the question is not solely to fulfill an assignment. The statement is defining who the
student is and what she believes. As the student reads her mission statement aloud in class,
the student will often look towards me and ask, Did you like it? I clarify to the student that
I like her mission statement, but if you can live out your mission statement, I will love it. As
they complete their practicum placement in the community, they realize that mission is more
than words on a page. The student understands that people depend on the words that com-
pose their mission statement and people have come to rely on students in the community. I
want to thank Liz Palmer (Class of 2013 Saint Marys College) for presenting to the Practi-
Professor Sanchez pictured with cum Seminar Class on the topic of mission. The class has a deeper understanding of mission
Liz Palmer, Class of 2013 and its impact on a person or group of people.
This year the Social Work Department had 21 students in the community in social service
agencies completing their practicum program. Each student has to complete 480 hours for the academic year. Many students went
above and beyond the 480 mark. Collectively the senior class ended with a total amount of 10,368.25 practicum hours. Congratula-
tions and thank you for all your hard work in the South Bend community and the surrounding areas. Your presence will be missed.
Leonard Sanchez

Field Practicum Spring Luncheon

The Field Practicum Spring Luncheon was held on May 7, 2017.

Right: Elizabeth Temple, MSW, St. J oseph Regional Medical Center (pictur ed with Elizabeth Escalona) and
Dr. Kim Sangster, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work and Gerontology and were inducted into the Phi
Alpha Honorary Society. Above: 2017 Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society Inductees. Left: Lynn Coleman,
Community Trauma Liaison at Memorial Hospital and Advisory Board Member for Social Work, delivered the
keynote address. Dr. Frances Kominkiewicz honored Lynn with a Certificate of Appreciation Award from the
Department of Social Work.

Fall In Love With Social Work Event Congrats, Kelly Geelan!

Special Thanks to Eliza-
beth Escalona and Elizabeth
Murray, co-presidents of
Social Work Club for their
assistance and dedication to
the club and social work pro-
P A PGAE G 2E 2 gram.
This year the Social Work Club hosted
a Fall In Love with Social Work
Event! This Social Work Information
Event was a night filled with camara-
derie, community and lots of fun. Our
seniors took the lead on this event
explaining why I want to become a
social worker, providing information
about the curriculum, describing their
experience in the field practicum, and
answering questions. Staff and faculty
were in attendance as well as social
work majors, minors and prospective
social work majors.
Kelly Geelan, junior, will be
traveling to Boston, Massachu-
setts this summer for an intern-
ship with the Judge Baker Chil-
drens Center, a Harvard Medi-
cal affiliate. The six week un-
dergraduate program involves
working with a group of chil-
dren with ADHD. As an intern, Kelly will be
spending time with the children, playing games
and doing activities to track their behavior, and
working on positive reinforcement. Kelly decid-
ed to apply and eventually accept the internship
saying, I wanted to merge my love for social
work with my love for children.
 PAGE 3

Congratulations Class of 2017!

Honors and Awards

The Kristi Morris Award was given to Cassidy

Purucker. Kristi's sister, Emily Wasowski, who Leadership Award recipient
Elizabeth Tietema received the attends Saint Mary's College presented the Elizabeth Murray.
Academic Excellence Award for the Award.
highest GPA.

Research Awards
Twenty-one seniors in the two-course research sequence formed six research teams and took on some of the curious questions social workers
examine and the challenging issues social workers confront. Students designed, implemented, analyzed results, and shared findings on a vari-
ety of issues. Research projects included: 1) the importance of understanding volunteer satisfaction and motivation for those who volunteer
with older adults; 2) the importance of knowing if stable housing, care management, and housing satisfaction influence health outcomes and
quality of life of life for persons with AIDS; and 3) understanding how differences in the way a Music and Memory intervention affect per-
sons with dementia. All research projects were approved by the SMC Institutional Review Board for Research Involving Human Subjects.
It was stiff competition for the two research awards granted by the department: Susan Argus McNamara Award and Josephine Murphy Kuhl
Research Award.
This past fall, Dr. William Argus, MD, established the Susan Argus McNamara Award in honor of his sister. Susan Argus McNamara was an
alumna of Saint Marys College in the class of 1968. She died in 2013 from cancer. She held a Master of Social Work and committed her life
to the service and well-being of couples and families with whom she worked as a family and marriage therapist. The generous $2,500 award
was shared between two senior research teams. Award recipients were chosen based on the scope and potential impact of their research ques-
tion, the appropriateness and complexity of their research design, and level of rigor required for implementation.
The Josephine Murphy Kuhl Award recognizes students who have excelled in social work research and intend to enter a MSW program.
Josephine graduated from Saint Marys in 1902 and was a social worker with Catholic Charities. The award was established in 2005 with a
gift from Josephines estate. Kim Sangster

Left: Dr. W illiam

Argus, M.D. estab-
lished the Susan
Argus McNamara
Award in honor of
his Sister Susan Ar-
gus McNamara.
Leadership Award and Josephine
Murphy Kuhl Research Award
At the Senior Athlete Awards Reception this recipient Elizabeth Escalona.
spring, senior Liza Felix received the Mary
Fran Meekison 40 Service Award for
extraordinary service to Saint Marys College
and the local communities. At Honors
Convocation, she also received the Josephine
Murphy Kuhl Research Award.

Gabriela Herrera, Melissa Mendez,

Mariana Davalos, and Janecsy
Estrada received the Susan Argus
McNamara Award for Foster Care Shannon Sullivan, Kate Vasile, and
Youth: Transition into Adulthood. Cassidy Purucker received the Susan
Argus McNamara Award for
Occupational Satisfaction: Burn Baby
Burn
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A
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4
Social Work class of 2017 with Dr. Frances Kominkiewicz (Chair), Jennifer Bauwens-Byers (Professor), Kim Sangster (Professor/
Gerontology), and Leonard Sanchez (Field Practicum Coordinator).
Hooding Ceremony, May 2017

Post Graduation
Nina Croatto Pursuing MSW at InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico.
Mariana Davalos Plans to pursue Advance Standing MSW at IUSB.
Aspen Davis Pursuing employment as facilitator/program director
Elizabeth Escalona Pursuing MSW at Virginia Commonwealth
Janecsy Estrada Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Dominican University
Liza Felix Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Grand Valley State University; working at GVSU as Data Collection Student Assis-
tant/Research
Lauren Grocock Working at Disney College Program; applying for MSW
Gabriela Herrera Pursuing employment for social work position, plans to pursue MSW.
Jackie Loesch- Pursuing MSW at University of Southern California.
Jean Manda Pursuing employment and applying for graduate school.
Libby Matthews Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Western Michigan University.
Melissa Mendez Pursuing MSW at University of Illinois Chicago
Elizabeth Murray Pursuing Advance Standing MSW Loyola University - Chicago.
Emily OBrien Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Rutgers University.
Valeria Ontiveros one year sabatical, expects Masters in Spanish in Vermont; then Azusa Pacific University to pursue MSW.
Cassidy Purucker Working as Resources Coordinator at Boys Hope/Girls Hope
Dalia Rodriguez Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.
Shannon Sullivan Pursuing employment at Boys Hope/Girls Hope; pursuing MSW program.
Elizabeth Tietema Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Grand Valley State University.
Maria Teresa Valencia Pursuing MSW at Boston College
Kate Vasile - Pursuing Advance Standing MSW at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Would you consider making a monetary gift to the Department of Social Work and Ger-
ontology educational goals? Any amount you can donate to the Social Work Resource The Department of Social
Center Fund or to the Gerontology Program assists in such areas as purchasing educa- Work has a Facebook Group
tional equipment, student community experiences and student research. Thank You for and website!
your kindness and generosity!
I am enclosing a donation of $25 $50 $100 $500 $1000 Other ________ The Facebook
Please apply my donation to: ____Social Work Resource Center Fund group name is:
____Gerontology Program Saint Marys College Social Work
Name______________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________________
E-mail Address______________________________________________ The department
Please make checks payable to: website is:
www.saintmarys.edu/departments/
Saint Marys College
265 Spes Unica Hall On the memo line of your check or on the social-work
online gift designation comment field,
Notre Dame, IN 465556 please indicate the designation: Social
Work Resource Center Fund, or Gerontolo-
gy Fund, or both.