Alumni
Danielle Stone, BSW ’21, has been doing a year of service in the Jesuit Volunteers Corps before heading to graduate school. Her JVC work with a school in New Jersey has helped Danielle better discern her path in social work. Click here to read more.
Michael Brennan BSW ’07,understands the trauma of mental health struggles and has built his career on treating the lingering scars in soldiers and their families. Brennan holds a Doctor of Psychology degree from Adler University and is currently the Section Chief of the Recruit Evaluation Unit at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center as well as Chief of Behavioral Health for the Wisconsin National Guard.
“Michael was originally a business major who somehow found his way to my Intro to Social Work course,” Dr. Margo Heydt, Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Xavier said. “Michael was one of those students whose discovery of social work was life changing. He would sit in class and say ‘WHOA’ out loud as he continued to learn perspectives that connected the dots in new ways for him. After he changed his major to social work, we talked about Adlerian psychology as part of his practice classes.” Click here to read more.
Ashley Marine, BSW ’11, recently received the Chicago Foundation for Women’s 2021 Impact Award for her work at GirlForward. Marine is deputy director at GirlForward, an organization that creates and enhances opportunities for girls displaced globally by conflict and persecution.
While at Xavier, Marine studied abroad in Ghana and helped provide education to girls in migrant labor work. Her work at GirlForward includes expansion of the program to Austin in 2015 and a wildly successful mentoring program that boasts a 100% graduation rate. The Impact Award honors Chicago leaders for their commitment to improving the lives of women and girls by supporting basic rights and equal opportunities.
“My path as a professional social worker has been so fundamentally shaped by my time at Xavier,” Marine said. “I want to extend deep gratitude to the school and instructors who helped me forge my path … I wouldn't be doing any of this work if it wasn't for my time at Xavier, and I'm forever thankful ...”
Danielle Stone, BSW ’21, spoke at the 2021 Commencement for the College of Professional Sciences as the undergraduate representative for the college. Danielle spoke of overcoming her mental health challenges and the support and inspiration she found at Xavier.
Magis Award Recipients
Since 2008, Xavier University has recognized a Xavier undergraduate alumnus (ae) who, within 15 years of graduation, has achieved a high degree of excellence and embodies Jesuit morals and ethical values in his/her life with the Magis Award. The Department of Social Work is proud that two BSW alumni have received the award--Angela U. Staubach, BSW ’01, in 2009 and in 2017, Megan Zarnitz, BSW ’07. Learn more about Magis Award Recipients.
Josh Spring, serves as Executive Director for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. He coordinates fifty organizations working with the homeless residing in the Hamilton County (Cincinnati) area. The position fulfills a passion of Josh's to work and empower those in society who are downtrodden and voiceless, and affords him the opportunity to assist those in need by providing resources so that they in turn can help themselves. Josh graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor in Social Work and a minor in Gender and Diversity Studies.
Bonnie Pollard, after 23 years of working in dental offices, decided to pursue her dream to become a social worker. She completed her Bachelor Degree in Social Work at Xavier in 2004 and a Master degree at the University of Cincinnati in 2005, and upon graduation, was hired as a PASSPORT care manager for the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA). Bonnie provided testimony to Ohio's State Legislatures regarding the effect of proposed cuts to the PASSPORT program.
Juan Vargas (pictured at right) BSW '13, was accepted by the Mercy Volunteer Corp and worked for a year with families and children at a hospital and orphanage in Guyana, South America.