The mission of the School of Social Work is to provide professional social work education that inspires critical thinking and lifelong learning to students who will serve in diverse social work practice areas and roles, engage in collaborative research to contribute to the well-being of populations that are vulnerable and oppressed and advance social work knowledge, and strengthen our communities through meaningful partnerships.
While we commend and celebrate all CHHS graduates, the following highlights our graduates and awardees at the BASW and MSW level. To view the full graduate list, please see the 2024 CHHS Commencement Program.
School of Social Work Student Spotlight
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Angela Dominguez is a person of many hobbies, interests and completely immersed herself in campus life during her time here at CSULB. She studied abroad through the School of Social Work program. She has been to Germany, London and Paris, and has many other travel sights set on her list. She is an avid concert goer, FUNKO Pop collector and loves the shows Friends, Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, and Schitt’s Creek, to name a few. She has been a part of the Upward Bound program as an academic advisor and Project OCEAN as a Graduate Peer Educator. Angela has interned at the Orange County Department of Education, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health and Long Beach Child & Adolescent Program, to name a few.
“I chose a career in human services before I even knew what human services was,” Angela says. “As a child, I enjoyed helping others, including my teachers and my classmates; however, I was a teenager when I decided I wanted to pursue ‘helping professions,’ especially wanting to work with women and children.”
Angela’s decision to help others was a direct result of experiencing childhood and early-adult trauma herself.
“I quickly learned there were resources all around me to help me succeed. Without the help of teachers, advisors, school counselors, social workers, victim advocates and many others, I would not be where I am today. My community is responsible for the strength and resilience I have developed over the years. I cannot think of a better way to honor the work of those who came before me than to give back to the communities that raised me.”
One of the most impactful experiences during Angela’s time at CSULB was studying abroad in Germany. While in Germany, her passions were reinforced of wanting to help the underprivileged and underserved populations of society.
“I hope to serve my community by continuing to break down the stigma associated with mental health, advocating for women’s rights, and finding creative ways to meet the needs of underserved populations.”
Angela’s story of resilience and pushing herself through the Master in Social Work program, at a time when she was going through personal trials herself, is nothing short of inspiring. Angela says she found solitude in her CSULB community.
“I was convinced I did not belong in this program. How was I supposed to help others when I could barely help myself?”
Angela remembers one particular Wednesday evening, when she arrived to class with the intention of telling her professor that she was quitting the program. Usually, Angela would arrive to Professor Colunga’s class with eagerness and engagement in class.
“On this evening though, my professor could sense I was distraught and took an interest in my wellbeing. I could tell Prof. Colunga genuinely cared, so I told her all that I was going through. This woman was compassionate, empathetic and validating. She reminded me of my ‘why’ – my reason for deciding to pursue a master’s in social work in the first place.”
Adds Angela, “Looking back, I am really glad I chose to continue with the MSW program. I have met so many wonderful people in this program and found lifelong friends!”
School of Social Work (BASW) Outstanding Student Citation Award
Cristina Lopez
Kianna Reynante
Samantha Truax
Cristy Toscano
Ruby Garcia
Jessica Metlak
Savanna Hernandez
Van Kim Ngoc Pham
Angelica Mae Tan Sano
Graduate Dean’s List Awards
Parisa Esfahani
Aracely Guerrero Estrada
Graduate Student Honors
Stephanie Amaya
Liliana Barroso
Daisy Cruz
Ricardo De La Torre
Elizabeth Esquivel
Fatima Garcia
Emma Gerch
Carolina Hernandez Lopez
Amy Keller
Stephanie Lezama
Ricardo Lopez
Mei Louie
Maerie Grayce Morales
Koritza Moreno
David Moreno Guardado
Grace Navarrete
Dien Nguyen
Wynn M. Nguyen
Aarti Patel
Rachel Margaret Reyes
Bryan Sanchez
Hannah Sjogren
Adriana White
School of Social Work Outstanding Thesis
Outstanding Thesis – Project
Aarti Patel
Thesis Title: Mental Health Awareness, Support, and Linkage Assistance (MASALA): A Grant Project
Advisor – Dr. Molly Ranney
Outstanding Thesis
Elizabeth Esquivel
Thesis Title: Bereavement Needs of Incarcerated Adults: A Qualitative Study
Advisor – Dr. Molly Ranney
Outstanding Applied Social Work Projects
Project Title -- Empowerment Pathways: Navigating Success for Formerly Incarcerated Students at CSULB
(Instructor: Dr. Joanna Barreras)
Rocio Becerra
Jessica Clinard-Allman
Jessica Keys
Brent Mayhew
Wynn Nguyen
Project Title -- Increasing Positive Youth Engagement in George Washington Middle School
(Instructor: Dr. Jose Hurtado Reyes)
Adriana Avalos
Yessica Campos
Janet Ceja-Garcia
Jessica Chamorro
Daisy Cruz
AngelaDominguez
Project Title -- The Student Link: Fostering Campus Connection
(Instructor: Dr. Joanna Barreras)
Skarlet Castro
Phoebe Hanna
Channell Holloway-Martin
Judith Ibarra
Kala James
Dominique Jefferson
Brittany Williams
