NASW Foundation Names Lyons, Barron, Fanwick, Gosnell Scholarship Recipients

Foundation

Top Row, Left to Right: Aaliyah Gates, Jordan Lummus, Beatriz Sanchez, Daisy Muniz, Danielle Urista, Itzel Martinez Castillo, Joanna Lara, Karina Rosales. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Marilynda Bustamante, Martha Corona Delgado, Nathalie Lobato-Flores, Patti Schevers, Ebony Washington, Deyhana Greene, Kathryn McGrady, Malik Henry

Social work students who support minority groups, social justice issues, and aiding individuals and families have been awarded scholarships though the NASW Foundation. The Foundation MSW scholarships promote diversity, equity and inclusion to assist NASW student members pursuing a variety of social work specialties.

The Lawanna Renee Barron Endowed Scholarships are awarded to MSW students with demonstrated interest, or experience, in working in rural settings and/or health and mental health in African American communities. The recipient is Aaliyah Gates, University of Alabama, from Bruce, Miss., a first-generation college graduate and MSW student. This fall, she will begin her second-year MSW internship in Selma, Ala. Gates aspires to become an LCSW and open her own mental health practice focused on healing and advocacy for marginalized communities.

The Neysa Fanwick Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a master’s degree candidate in social work dedicated to addressing injustices within various systems, including, but not limited to, criminal justice, foster care, health care, and education. The inaugural recipient is Jordan Lummus, University of Michigan, an MSW student studying the welfare of children and families and global social work. Lummus spent two years in the U.S. Peace Corps as a youth and families development promoter in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Her goal is to further her education in social welfare policy.

The Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial Scholarships are awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work who demonstrate an interest in or have experience with health/mental health practice and have a commitment to working in African American communities. The recipients are:

• Deyhana Greene, Case Western Reserve University, currently specializing in mental health with adults and earning a trauma-informed practice certificate. Greene understands the importance of equity, access and systemic representation within the African American community.
• Malik Henry, Touro University, is a first-year MSW student with a deep commitment to advocating for youth impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, and systemic inequality. He aims to become an LCSW and work at the intersection of education and the justice system. 
• Kathryn McGrady, University of South Carolina, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, cum laude, from Clemson University and her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina. She is committed to providing culturally competent care and confronting systemic bias in all forms
• Ebony Washington, Columbia University, is committed to advancing social justice and mental health support within African American communities through innovative workforce solutions and community engagement.

The Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarships are awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work who have demonstrated a commitment to working with, or who have a special affinity with, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino populations. The recipients are:

• Patti Schevers, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, a fourth-generation European American, was born and raised on the Oneida Nation Reservation where her family still resides. Her story is one of healing, service and connection to land, people and practices. Schevers plans to become an LCSW and implement yoga into clinical practice. 
• Martha Corona Delgado, University of Southern Mississippi. Her long-term goals include expanding access to immigration services through grant writing, and building equitable systems across Mississippi and the surrounding region.  
• Daisy Muniz, CUNY Lehman College, is a Mexican-American, first-generation graduate student. After graduation, she plans to become a licensed social worker and provide bilingual culturally responsive care to help reduce stigma and improve outcomes for Hispanic individuals and families. 
• Karina Rosales, University of Chicago, is a first-generation college student from Compton, Calif., where she was born and raised by her immigrant mother as the middle of three daughters. Now entering her second year in the MSW program, Rosales is committed to supporting youth and adolescents within the Chicago Public School system.  
• Joanna Lara, Washington University in St. Louis, was born in the Salinas Valley in California, where her parents and grandparents were farm workers. Lara wants to become an LCSW and provide therapy in Spanish to first-generation and Latinx teens.
• Marilynda Bustamante, University of Southern California, is a first-generation Latina and second-year MSW candidate. She plans to earn her LCSW and eventually launch a women’s wellness retreat offering therapy, cultural healing practices, and financial literacy while fostering a community mentorship network. 
• Itzel Martinez Castillo, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a first-generation college and graduate student. Mexico. Castillo plans to provide psychotherapy to individuals from all backgrounds, with a particular interest in supporting immigrants, refugees, adolescents, and those affected by substance use. 
• Nathalie Lobato-Flores, University of California, Berkeley, is a first-generation college student from Guerrero, Mexico. Her experiences have motivated her to pursue a career focused on addressing mental health disparities, family violence, and substance use disorder within migrant and Latine populations.  
• Danielle Urista, University of California, Berkeley, is a first-generation Latina from Los Angeles whose passion for social justice was ignited by witnessing how housing instability devastated her community. Urista is pursuing her MSW and working toward becoming an LCSW. She aims to support individuals and families in shelters, and transitional and permanent housing—helping them achieve stable housing and empowering them to maintain it.  
• Beatriz Sanchez, Columbia University, is a first-generation Dominican-American. Sanchez is pursuing an MSW in policy practice at Columbia University, and will intern with the Latino Social Work Coalition.

More information: naswfoundation.org.

Foundation Donations

The NASW Foundation extends its thanks to all NASW members and friends who lend their financial support, with special thanks to the following for their contributions of $100 or more, from March 20 to Aug. 5, 2025. All donors are listed at naswfoundation.org. We appreciate all donations, including those donated through a Donor Advised Fund or a Retirement Fund.

Social Work Pioneer®

• Robert Connolly
• General Fund
• Heidi Amundson
• Charmaine Ashcraft
• Iris Brown
• Gabrielle D’Avolio
• Sybil Dudley
• Michael Evans
• Anthony Hill
• Teranejah Lucas
• Public Education Campaign
• Micah Mitchell
• Carina Salaiza

Neysa Fanwick Memorial Scholarship Endowment

• Charles Festo
• Ronald Roth
• Disaster Assistance Fund
• Byrd-Borland Foundation
• Robert Connolly

Public Education Campaign

• Anne Boehner
• Michael Evans
• Joshua Herold
• Teranejah Lucas
• Andrea Norton

Social Work Pin Program

• Anna Maria College Social Work Department
• Brescia University
• Chatham University Social Work Program
• City University of New York
• Fort Valley State University
• Methodist University
• Middle Georgia State University Foundation Inc.
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• Radford University
• Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
• Southern University At New Orleans
• St. Catherine University
• Texas A&M University, Kingsville
• UMASS Global School of Social Work
• University of Arkansas
• University of Houston-Clear Lake
• Walla Walla University