Are you looking ways to connect with your fellow MSW students and have a voice in the school community?
Join the School of Social Work Student Organization (SSWSO)!
The SSWSO promotes a sense of community among MSW students while also provides them with a platform through which they can organize and voice their opinions to help guide program development. Students hold regular meetings, plan educational and social events, and connect with students in other academic departments at UNE.
The officer positions currently include President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary and then of course, you ALL are welcome to join the organization!! Below are snap shot interviews with your new officers. We hope you enjoy and we hope you join the organization!!
President, Sage Landry:
Volunteering in my community of Parkside/West Bayside
Wilderness/Adventure Therapy
Trauma Informed/TRIAD
I know what I want to do to because of my drive and ability to utilize the clinical understanding of the social work practice and how it may positively and effectively impact other’s lives.
The local and integrated community of providers, activist and leaders.
Vice President, Tiarra LaPierre
Most of my post-undergrad work has been social work tangential. I was an Americorps VISTA for a year and a half after graduation, and have worked with the School of Social Work for the past 4 years. I’ve always wanted to have a career where I can help others, and I have been inspired by the social workers I have met and the work they are doing throughout our communities. The versatility and variety of career opportunities is also a big draw for me.
I have a lot of interests, but here are some of my favorite: Social Welfare Policy, the intersection of social work and public health, research, community organizing and advocacy, Trauma informed practice, and Social Justice.
I am currently pursuing the Trauma Informed the Certificate, and I hope to add TRIAD next year.
I would like to work toward creating positive change in my community whether that is at the micro, mezzo, or macro level. I am open to learning more about myself and my strengths and weaknesses as a social worker. I’m sure I may shift my goals as I grow throughout this degree, but currently I can see myself eventually pursing a PhD in Social Welfare Policy. I would like to help create change that really promotes equity in health, financial, and social spheres.
I really Love Portland! The food scene is on point, and the art, theater, and performance opportunities are also wonderful.
Secretary, Briana Ciallela:
I’ve always wanted to build a career out of helping people, and I found social work through a previous job I had as a neuropsychological technician. I worked closely with an LCSW candidate and fell in love with the work. Helping others is my passion and through previous experience, I found that social work was the perfect profession to do just that!
I am most interested in the areas of clinical, medical, and school social work.
I am pursuing the TRIAD certificate through the UNE MSW on-campus program.
I am so excited to graduate with my MSW this coming May, sit for my licensure exam and get to work doing good in the community! I am hoping to start working soon after graduation in either a private practice or medical setting.
Maine is definitely the coolest place I have lived. Being so close to the coast while also being able to take advantage of Portland “city” life is something that you can’t get many other places in the country. It has been such a great experience living, working, and learning in such a unique and special place.
Treasurer, Amanda Garami
My dad has always encouraged me to go into social work. Once I started researching it myself I loved the whole-person care, social justice aspect, and opportunities for one on one relationship building.
I am very passionate about working with children, and my goal is to become a school social worker. My studies at UNE have only further confirmed that school social work is meant for me!
I am doing the IPEC honors distinction (now known as CECE) as well as TRIAD.
I LOVE Portland! I’ve lived in some of the best cities in North America, but Portland has been where I feel most at home. It has been a great place to challenge myself academically as the city has fully embraced me with kindness, art, crisp ocean air, and good food.
I had considered social work in my mid-20s, but ended up getting a degree in library science instead. I worked in public and academic libraries for 11 years, and found myself more and more interested in the therapeutic aspects of both jobs. When my position was cut at the school I worked at, it was an easy decision to pursue an MSW.
I came into the program with the goal of doing direct therapy with individuals, and that is still my goal though I find myself interested in research as well.
I am pursuing the TRIAD certificate.
My plan at this point is to do individual therapy with a basis in Yoga and Zen Buddhism. That said, I may decide to spend some time working in the research field as well.
The food and music scenes are what drew me to this area.
Check out this blog post to read what the Student Organization has done in the past
To get involved reach out to SSWSO at:
unesswso@gmail.com
Student Voices image by Darcie Wu, 13 yrs old
Hello SSWSO Officers, you are amazing people with incredible passion to make a difference in your respective communities and diverse areas of interest. Thank you for volunteering your time this academic year, your effort and leadership is greatly appreciated.
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