NASW Foundation Announces Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship Recipients

For Immediate Release
September 2, 2008

Contact:
Amber Moore
202-336-8277
amoore@naswdc.org

NASW Foundation Announces Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship Recipients

Washington—The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) announces the 2008-2009 Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship recipients.

The scholarships are awarded for one academic year to students who have demonstrated a commitment to working with, or have a special affinity to American Indian, Alaskan native, or Hispanic and Latino populations. These candidates have also demonstrated a commitment to working with public or voluntary non-profit agencies or local grassroots organizations. They are all Master of Social Work candidates.

This year’s awardees include:

Yesenia Aguilar, University of Southern California
As a mother of twins born prematurely, Ms. Aguilar experienced first-hand the emotional, physical and financial stressors that are accompanied with a hospitalization. These disparities are heightened in Latino families due in large part to language barriers between the family and healthcare providers. Through her work in the Latino community, Ms. Aguilar has committed herself to helping Latino immigrants adapt to their new environment. While pursuing her Master of Social Work, she has worked as an intern at Clinica Oscar Romero in Los Angeles, providing individual and family counseling to children and adults.

Rosa Delmy Alvayero, Maryland University, Baltimore
A Salvadorian immigrant, Ms. Alvayero has personally experienced the struggles of immigrants to the United States. Upon relocating to the United States, Ms. Alvayero interned at La Clinica del Pueblo in Washington, DC, where her passion for social work came to fruition. Her desire is to work with nonprofit healthcare agencies that tend to the Spanish speaking community to help Latino families overcome the language barriers associated with healthcare. Her rich cultural perspective and commitment to the Latino community will be a great asset to the social work profession.

Martha M. Andrade, California State University, Chico
As a bilingual undergraduate student from Mexico, Ms. Andrade’s personal experience as an immigrant helped define her interest in social work. Since moving to the United States six years ago, Ms. Andrade has been very active working with the Latino community through volunteering and internships. She is currently working with Big Brothers Big Sisters to implement a mentoring program for bilingual adults and Spanish speaking immigrant students. Ms. Andrade’s commitment to the Latino community, coupled with her academic excellence makes her an excellent candidate for this scholarship.

Kathryn Brown, University of California, Los Angeles
After starting her career as a teacher with Teach for America, Ms. Brown became acutely aware of the lack of health insurance, parent illiteracy, poverty and cultural alienation of her students and their families. This inspired her to pursue a career in both law and social work with hopes to bridge the gap between the law and social service realm. Ms. Brown has committed her time through volunteering and internships with Public Counsel’s Children’s Rights Project in Los Angeles, working with the city’s culturally diverse and disenfranchised youth. She also interned with the Silicon Valley Mental Health Advocacy Project in the summer of 2008.

Alicia Bunch, University of Tennessee
Ms. Bunch is a native of Panama, Central America, and since moving to the United States, has dedicated herself to helping Latino populations both abroad and in the U.S. Her focus has been working with women who have been victims of domestic abuse, prostitution, sexual abuse and other social disparities. Ms. Bunch will be traveling to Colima, Mexico this spring to provide therapy to sexual abuse victims as well as educate women on various health issues. Her commitment to women’s issues, especially in the Latino community, is extremely valuable and reflects the true core of the social work mission.

Nadia G. Kalinchuk, University of Houston
An activist from a young age, Ms. Kalinchuk got her start in social action through the Peer Assistance and Leadership program at her high school, catering to incoming Spanish-speaking students. Her personal experiences incited a great desire to be active to ensure justice for those facing insurmountable obstacles. Ms. Kalinchuk has worked as an interpreter for Spanish speaking youth, educating them about HIV testing, and has also provided outreach, education and counseling to victims of domestic and sexual abuse. She is currently working with immigrants and refugees at Catholic Charities, providing counseling to victims of genocide, war and rape.

Elizabeth Kampf, University of St. Thomas
After a life-changing visit to Mexico where she witnessed first-hand the disparities between the United States and Mexico, Ms. Kampf returned to the U.S determined to make a difference in the lives of others. Ms. Kampf’s current work at an outpatient medical clinic serves mothers and young children in predominately Spanish speaking households. She provides counseling to mothers with difficult pregnancies and guidance for women seeking healthcare for themselves or their children. Ms. Kampf’s goal is to continue to do perinatal social work within the Latino community, expanding mental health programs for pregnant women and developing education and resources to meet the needs of this growing community.

Jessica Hope LePak, University of California, Berkley
An American Indian from Wisconsin, Ms. LePak has served the Bay Area urban Indian community for the past 2 years. As a third year graduate student, Ms. LePak sits on the board of directors for the Intertribal Friendship House, which is working to revitalize community centers with historical significance around the country. During her internship at the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, Calif., Ms. Lepak developed a three year strategic plan for the recruitment and retention of resource families. She also sits on the advisory boards for The Bay Area Indian Child Welfare Improvement Initiative, the Equity and Inclusion Strategic Advisory Group at UC Berkley and Reconnecting the Circle, a non-profit focusing on American Indian youth.

Roshanna Lucero, New Mexico State University
An American Indian from New Mexico, Ms. Lucero’s commitment to the American Indian youth was incited through her criminal justice background, working with a juvenile community corrections program in New Mexico. After deciding that social work would be the best avenue for her to affect change, Ms. Lucero enrolled in the MSW program at New Mexico State University to obtain the skills necessary to serve the labeled, misunderstood and underestimated youth. She is currently working to establish a program at the J. Paul Taylor Juvenile Detention Center for American Indian clients, which focuses on maintaining cultural identity and allowing the youth to express their “Native Pride.”

Gloria Montes, Portland State University
Ms. Montes’ commitment to the Latino population is deeply rooted in her background as a Salvadorian immigrant. As a bilingual and bicultural student, Ms. Montes has been active from a young age working with the Latino community in Oregon. During her high school years, she volunteered with the Latino Phone Line Network, providing translation service for students in the area. As an undergraduate student, Ms. Montes became active with several Latino youth groups, mobilizing her local community to take action on political issues that directly affected them. Her most recent internship is with Leadership, Education, Adventure and Direction as the Latino Outreach Coordinator.

Marisol Naranjo, University of Southern California
Ms. Naranjo recognized her passion to give back at an early age, and began her public service career by volunteering at daycare centers, creating domestic violence awareness on campus and exposing Latino high school students to the possibility of college. She is currently a mentor to three Latino high school students and is guiding them through the college application process. Ms. Naranjo’s commitment to public service is also demonstrated through her most recent position with Los Angeles City Councilmember, Richard Alarcon, working with a team of graduate students to end poverty in Los Angeles.

The Gosnell Scholarship was established through a bequest of Consuelo Gosnell, a social work practitioner who was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and died in Texas in 1987. Gosnell was a champion of civil and human rights and worked diligently to ameliorate conditions for critically under served American Indians and Latinos in the Southwest. Gosnell practiced for many years in federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

For more information about the NASW Foundation or educational scholarships, please visit www.naswfoundation.org or e-mail at naswfoundation@naswdc.org.

About the National Association of Social Workers
NASW is the largest association of social workers in the world, with nearly 150,000 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States and abroad. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.

http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/2008/090208gosnell.asp

4/8/2013