Two School of Social Work students received scholarships for their dedication to health equity and equality. These students define what it means to have a transformational educational experience and a commitment to community.
Gillian Duenas (MSW, ’22) was selected to receive two scholarships: a UW Alumni Association Homecoming Scholarship and a Multicultural Award Partnership (MAP) Scholarship. Born and raised in Bremerton, Wash., Duenas was a first-generation college student. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in speech and hearing sciences and a minor in diversity. She was also a member of the prestigious Husky 100 Cohort. During her undergraduate years, she was an active member of the Micronesian Islands Club, ASUW Pacific Islander Student Commission, UWMC Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Clinic, and the UW Pipeline Project.
Duenas is now a graduate student in the School of Social Work, where she hopes to become a mental health specialist working with Pacific Islander communities to support their healing from colonial and generational traumas.She is particularly interested in incorporating Indigenous art such as weaving, carving and music as a means of therapy for Pasifika populations. After completing her education, she plans to practice social work in her home island of Guåhan.
Christine Sohn (MSW ‘21) was selected to receive a Multicultural Award Partnership (MAP) Scholarship. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Ch
ampaign in 2018 with a B.S. in clinical psychology and a minor in social work. Her experience at a residential treatment center with at-risk youth, along with her desire to break down barriers to mental health access, led her to pursue a master’s degree in social work at the School. Currently, she is interning at the Asian Counseling and Referral Service as a children’s youth mental health counselor and is a volunteer coordinator with Jumpstart at the UW, building community connections through engagement and service. Upon graduation, she plans to work as a mental health practitioner.
The UWAA Homecoming Scholarship program offers a $2,000 award to students who exemplify the difference that a UW education has made on their lives. Six students are selected annually.
The Multicultural Alumni Partnership program, founded in 1994, promotes diversity at the UW and in the UW alumni community. Nine scholarships were awarded in 2020. Both programs are administered under the UW Alumni Association.