Celebrating Our Social Work Students
March is National Social Workers Month, a month dedicated to celebrating the impact of social workers across the country. We started out our celebrations by learning more about Chatham’s Social Work Program with Program Director and Field Placement Coordinator, Dr. Melissa Bell. As March comes to a close, we’re rounding out our celebrations by featuring just a few of the many extraordinary social work students. Read on to learn more about Katie Figgs ‘23, Samantha VanZandt ‘24 and Madeline Morse ‘22.
Katie Figgs ‘23
Originally from Westover, MD, Katie Figgs ’23 became a Social Work major at Chatham almost by a chance of fate. After a few semesters spent at another university, Katie heard about Chatham through her partner and transferred last fall as a psychology and criminology major. On her first day of class, she sat down at what she thought to be her scheduled psychology class but soon learned she was in one of Dr. Melissa Bell’s social work classes. The rest is history.
“That was such a lightbulb moment where I thought maybe social work is what I’m supposed to be doing. I always wanted to incorporate political science and sociology into my career. After sitting in on that class, I realized that social work encompassed everything I wanted to do.”
In the program, she has found that her professors have taught her how to both advocate for herself and others and have confidence in her abilities to enact change.
“The program really teaches you to have an open mind and be inquisitive. It helps you dig deeper and consider the ripple effects of every issue. It also helps me notice the bias that I have and work to address it. We take a person and environment model to all that we do and believe that every person is a product of the environment in which they exist. It is teaching me to treat each person I meet, whether that be professionally or personally, with dignity and respect.”
After graduation, she plans to use these skills towards a master’s in social work focusing specifically on policy work. Whether it be at the macro-level or working directly with clients, Katie feels that social work is highly impactful.
“Social work is vital. At its core, it’s the glue that keeps our communities together through supporting and advocating for them. It shines a blaring light on social injustices and doesn’t allow these issues or the ones suffering from them to stay hidden. Whether you’re working directly with clients or on the policy level, you’re making a difference.”
-Samantha VanZandt ‘24
Samantha Van Zandt ‘24 began her college career at The University of Alaska in a pre-law program. When she lost her job due to COVID-19, her entire plan shifted. She began working at a group home in Alaska for individuals with serious mental illnesses and instantly fell in love with the work. It was around this time, that she also decided to move back to Pennsylvania, as an Edinboro native, and wanted to continue her pre-law studies at Chatham. However, upon some reflection on the value of the work she was already doing, she quickly switched to social work. During her time at Chatham, she has picked up another unexpected major— visual arts.
“I had to take an art course for my general education requirements, and I took painting and fell in love with it the same way that I did social work. I’m now in a sculpture class and am looking get my master’s in art therapy as well. I had no idea when I went into college that I was going to study social work, let alone visual arts.”
In the social work program, Samantha is taking a Working With Groups course where she is learning how to facilitate groups and how to arrange group movements like mutual aid. She is also expanding her knowledge of social work on the macro-scale as she studies how social justice issues impact individuals. She continues to work in a group home nearby in Bridgeville, PA, with the hope to one day be a director of group home incorporating art therapy into all that she does.
“Everyone has a voice but not everyone has been taught or has the opportunity to use their voice. To be an advocate and support system for people is imperative. That’s the job of a social worker.”
-Madeline Morse ‘22
Originally from Grove City, PA, Madeline Morse ‘22 spent time in the Navy before coming to Chatham to study social work. It was through this experience that she became interested in the transformative work that social workers do.
“I was assigned a social worker through Veteran Affairs, and she was so helpful and impactful to my life. It made me want to help others in the way that she helped me.”
She was drawn to Chatham’s social work program due to the small class sizes, the focus on women empowerment and Chatham’s Yellow Ribbon school status— a program that helps veterans apply their benefits to tuition. In the social work program, she has found a supportive cohort who she cites to be constantly challenging her to be a better person.
“I’ve learned a lot about meeting people where they are at and putting yourself in their shoes. This program has really helped with those crucial people skills.”
She has had the opportunity to apply these skills through her field placement at the Allegheny County Juvenile Probation Center. There, she works within a restorative-justice and trauma-informed framework to help youth in the space rethink their behaviors. After graduation, she plans to continue this work by pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh with a plan to work in a school environment.
“I think social work is often misunderstood. The more we talk about what social workers offer people is impactful. They can do anything from individual therapy to policy work as well as some emerging fields like police social work and veterinary social work. It’s so broad and can make such an impact.”
Madeline is currently raising funds through the sale of t-shirts to support Ukraine’s Ministry of Health through the program Direct Relief which is providing critical emergency medical supplies to Ukraine. T-shirts can be purchased through her on campus as well as at the upcoming Masquerade Prom on Friday, April 1.
To learn more about the many offerings of Chatham’s Bachelor of Social Work, check out our interview with Dr. Melissa Bell, Chatham’s Social Work Program Director and Field Placement Coordinator, and our website.