Fordham University Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate!

Andrew (he/him) lives just outside Albany, New York. As a children's book editor for nearly thirteen years, Andrew aspired to publish authors from marginalized backgrounds so that readers of could see themselves represented authentically in literature. During his internship at LDF, Andrew learned how to work more directly with kids and teens in a variety of capacities to help them flourish in their lives. When he's not reading or studying, Andrew enjoys running, knitting, and playing the piano.

Fordham University Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate!

Latoya’s (she/her) professional journey started in the clinical medical field in a hospital setting. She was honored to impact the individuals she worked with for over 10 years. During this time, she cultivated skills such as empathy, active listening, and advocacy which she believes are key to social work. She is located in the Big Apple, where she enjoys being a part of the multicultural community. She believes in a holistic approach to mental health. She enjoys empowering, advocating, and celebrating all people. She is proud to belong to the social work profession that is committed to enhancing the well-being of others. Latoya enjoys indoor and outdoor horticulture and practices eco-therapy for self-care as part of her daily routine. Latoya continues her work at the Lian Dante Foundation as the Director of Operations.

Fordham University Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate!

Krystal is a Navy veteran. While on active duty in the United States Navy, she worked in a clinic setting with children and adolescents receiving gender-affirming care, Krystal sought to expand her scope of practice. She has a strong desire to advocate for the most vulnerable populations. She has volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the CASA of the Coastal Bend. Her ultimate goal is to provide trauma-informed, comprehensive, quality care to LGBTQ+ people. Krystal enjoys nature and is an avid runner. In her off time, she enjoys empowering people to utilize movement and nature to increase well-being.

Fordham University Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate!

Michelle (she, her) is located in Delaware. A degree in Social Work was ideal in fulfilling her dreams of advocating for others. With so many injustices facing marginalized communities, Michelle felt the need to be a part of the driving force for change. She is interested in healthcare where her journey started working in the Emergency Room. She is now assigned to Maternity /Labor & Delivery where she supports families. In her daily interactions with patients, she understands the dynamics, pertinent services and resources needed. Her goal as a social worker is to create awareness, motivate, educate, enhancing well-being while helping to meet the complex needs of individuals and fostering a better environment for all. Michelle enjoys traveling, cooking, and long trips with her family.

Fordham Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate!

Michael (he/him) lives in central New Jersey. Through his undergrad degree in healthcare, he was aware of the depth and complexity of external factors as they impact individuals. He sought the opportunity to find an even more impactful role for his career trajectory and chose Social Work. His personal and professional goal to positively impact people's lives led him to Fordham's MSW program. This has been a major step in working to achieve his career goals. Michael enjoys sports and working out.

Capella University Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Christine (she/her) has been very active in the Houston community working to empower members of the community to overcome obstacles. Her desire to earn a Master’s Degree in Social reflected her commitment to continue this work as her chosen career. Christine founded her own non-profit, Hope for the Future Generations!

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Antonia (she/her) is located in Houston, Texas. She has a wide variety of experiences in the non-profit and public service fields, including social policy research, program design, and community outreach. She is passionate about developing community-centered programming and supporting Houston children and families. Antonia focused on both clinical and macro-level skills. Outside the classroom, she enjoys playing cello and singing in local ensembles, as well as reading fiction.

Fordham Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate

Melissa brought over 35 years of experience working as a BSW- level social worker, school counselor, and higher education access professional and administrator. Melissa sees her work helping young people and their families as fulfilling her purpose and ministry to help others. When the pandemic arrived, and the opportunity to provide teletherapy exploded, Melissa returned to school to get her Master's in Social Work at Fordham. Working with the Lian Dante Foundation allowed her to expand her knowledge and work with other young people and their families who have different experiences living in Texas vs New York City and New Jersey. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her significant other, her adult son and his girlfriend, and her extensive support network of friends and family.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Madalyn (she/her) is currently located in Montgomery, Texas. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology. She is currently working full-time at Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare as a mental health professional. She aspires to become a counselor for adults needing assistance with their mental health journey. She is especially interested in working with clients with mood disorders and psychosis. In her free time, Madalyn enjoys reading, riding her bike, and playing with her cat, Puar.

Howard University Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Alisha (she/her) is currently located in Fort Worth, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Social Work in Spring of 2022. During this time she learned about the importance of empathy, meeting the client where they are at, as well as the importance of advocacy. Alisha’s love for advocacy took her to Howard University where she has expanded her knowledge of civil rights and community organizing. She is passionate about policy reform and human rights. When she is not in school Alisha enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and cats.

Fordham Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate

Brian lives in Houston, Texas. He has worked in the field of addiction recovery in Houston for the past two and a half years. He is working with refugee families as a case manager. He chose to pursue a Master’s in Social Work in order to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and practice therapy. He is passionate about working with persons across all developmental life stages interested in healing their wounds, finding meaning in their lives, and becoming whole. He enjoys running, reading and writing in local cafés, and dancing to live music in his free time.

Capella University Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Graduate

Abdul lives in Houston, he decided to get into social work school following his experience as a volunteer at a refugee resettlement agency. During his time there, he enjoyed assisting refugee families from different countries. He is passionate about serving clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and providing psychoeducation to individuals with limited access to mental health services. In his free time hours, Abdul enjoys playing pick-up soccer and going on hikes.

Howard University Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Kesha’s experience as a BSW-level Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with youth and families. inspired her to pursue her MSW. Her work history includes case management and support services for non-profit agencies and health care programs. She has a passion to provide support in accessing needed resources to individuals. Kesha worked to enhance her knowledge and skills to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In her free time, she enjoys community outreach and spending time with family.

Lone Star University- AAS Human Services Graduate

Annette Rivera completed her undergraduate degree at Lone Star University in Houston, Texas. She’s worked at 2 Houston ISD schools supporting both parents and students by translating, connecting them to resources, and mentorship. Her passion for helping others led her to a Life Coaching Certification and continuous pursuit of a Human Services Degree. She hopes to make an impact in her community by helping parents and children with goal-setting and life skills (including self-love, self-compassion, and self-care.)

Fordham University Graduate College of Social Work Master’s Graduate.

Emma is a proud graduate of Texas A & M with an undergraduate degree in psychology. S She is passionate about social justice, access to healthcare, and macro work such as grant writing. She looks forward to learning from clients’ perspectives and gaining a better understanding of the community needs.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Level Intern

Lindsay has worked in the education field for 12 years as a Choir Director and Service Learning Coordinator. Having lived and taught at international schools in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cameroon, and Switzerland, she has witnessed first-hand how profoundly the policies of governments impact their citizens, for better or worse, on the macro and micro levels. Her experiences as an educator have led her to pursue her Master in Social Work at the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work where she is completing her practicum at the Lian Dante Foundation. Lindsay loves to travel, read, do yoga, study history, write/play music, and spend time with her family, friends, and dogs.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Level Intern

Tara graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduating she moved to Houston and worked at Cypress Creek Psychiatric Hospital as an intake specialist and then at Harris County Guardianship as a caseworker. Tara had two children who she was full time mother for many years, but during this time stayed engaged in social work through volunteer work. Her most recent volunteer work was as a Texas Ombudsman, in which she advocated for residents’ rights in long term care facilities. Tara is currently a first year graduate student of social work at the University of Houston.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Cassandra Sampson lives in Houston, Texas. For the past sixteen and half years she has worked in the field of child abuse and neglect as a caseworker and supervisor. She chose to pursue a master’s in social work to obtain her license and more one on one with individual family groups. Cassandra has a passion for working with people and problem solve complex life issues and helping families grow. In her spare time, she loves doing various types of crafting and working with the homeless community.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Graduate

Maria have recently started her social work master’s degree at the University of Houston. She is currently working at A non-profit immigration shelter as a case manager full-time. She is passionate about helping refugees/ immigrants. She wants to be a Clinical social worker and work at shelters and incorporate holistic approaches to therapy. She is passionate about making the community stronger and more knowledgeable about resources within the community. In her free time, she likes to meditate, read, do yoga, go to the gym, and play volleyball.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Graduate

Jazymin Carter (she/her) is a native Texan from Orange, Texas where she began her career in Criminal Justice as a Correctional Officer. She moved to the Houston area and soon obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston- Clear Lake in 2020. Her social work journey began in 2022 with the opportunity to become a Crisis Response Intervention Support Coordinator for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She quickly discovered that she had a passion for assisting state employees and their families. Jazymin’s passion fueled her decision to enhance her intercommunication skills and broaden her skillset by enrolling into the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work. Jazymin has been married for seven years and is a mother of three beautiful girls. In her personal time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts, spending time with family, and spending time alone to recharge.

Capella Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Graduate

Born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Moved to Houston with my family. I’ve decided to go into social work with my experience as a bilingual educator for having a passion for helping others and seeing them grow. I love serving clients with different cultures and backgrounds and educating them in regards to their mental health. My free time I like to cook and go to different restaurants in Houston to try different foods from different cultures

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work - Master’s Level Intern

Lawrence is a former classroom teacher that has spent the last 10 years working with youth and families to establish stability and permanency. His work history includes case management and supervision within the child welfare system. He is passionate about maintaining familial connections as children and families navigate child welfare systems. Lawrence is currently enrolled in the MSW program at the University of Houston and looks to enhance his knowledge and skills to become a Licensed Master Social Worker.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Level Intern

James moved to Texas in 2021 with his wife, two children, and their dog. James has had a long interest in working with individuals who have struggles with mental health issues arising from low self esteem, grief, anxiety and depression. His long term goal is to become a Licensed Clinical social worker to work in private practice and to provide counseling and other mental health services pro bono for unserved communities.

University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work- Master’s Level Intern

Meulen lives in Houston, Texas. She has more than 13 years of experience working with trauma survivors especially survivors of domestic and sexual violence. In her current position, she provides crisis intervention and advocacy for crime victims as they engage with the criminal justice system. She is a student at the University of Houston, Graduate School of Social Work. She wants to further her knowledge and skills to better serve underserved communities. As an immigrant herself, she knows many of the challenges that the immigrant community faces in coming to the United States. She hopes that with her work with Lian Dante Foundation she can support families in that process. She is very passionate about issues of immigration, acculturation, and social justice. In her free time, she enjoys reading, nature walks, cooking, and eating food from all over the world.