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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 ������. 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 ������ 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 ������ 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 ������ 

(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

Angela Dominguez

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