The mission of Social Work Society (SWS) at USF is to promote positive socialization among students interested in issues of social justice and positive social change, and to raise funds and engage in service activities that address human rights concerns on campus and within communities locally, regionally, and nationally.
SWS recently elected a new group of officers to lead the team in 2024.
President: Emily Darling
Emily Darling is a first-year Master of Social Work (MSW) student expecting to graduate in the spring of 2025. As the Social Work Society president, she will work closely with staff and other officers to coordinate leadership training with the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. Darling will promote participation with the National Association of Social Workers to SWS members and have information available at monthly meetings and tabling events. She is very passionate about mental health awareness.
Vice President: Brianna (Bri) Dankerl
Bri Dankerl is an MSW student graduating in the fall of 2024. She is doing her clinical internship at Just Be Rooted Counseling, where she is working with various populations as well as diverse groups such as POC, LGBTQIA+, and underprivileged communities. She is also currently working full-time at Metro Inclusive Health as a medical case manager. Dankerl has a lot of passion for micro and mezzo work and will work as vice president to ensure that the Social Work Society having events that also bring awareness. She is very passionate about menstrual health and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) awareness and is most excited to work on doing a week of events for PMDD awareness month in April.
Secretary: Anice Altema
Anice Altema is a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) student who will be graduating in
the fall of 2024. They currently serve as the secretary for the Social Work Society,
and their main goal is to foster a sense of community among social work students.
Altema is passionate about macro-level social work with a particular focus on helping
refugees and immigrants. In addition to their role in the Social Work Society, Altema
has become a liaison for Tampa Bay Tech (TBT). In this role, they will be working
with USF students and the TBT administration to help mentor Seniors in High School.
Treasurer: Sara Cole
Sara Cole is a first-year MSW student. As treasurer of the Social Work Society, she will form a budget and help other officers to coordinate impactful events for USF students. Sara is extremely passionate about mental health awareness and making positive impacts. She is a first-generation college student and aims to achieve her masters. She is interested in becoming a licensed social worker and wants to work with children and adolescents. Currently she is interning at a middle school and has experience as a K-12 substitute teacher. Cole is eager to continue her education and social work skills.
Social Media Coordinator: Dylan Skofronick
Dylan Skofronick is a BSW student graduating in the spring of 2024. As the group's
social media coordinator, Skofronick manages the social media of Social Work Society
along with creating presentations and flyers for meetings. Skofronick also likes sharing
content for the benefit of the community, such as volunteer opportunities and self-care
tips.
Mental Health Liaison: Breanna Wade
Breanna Wade is a current BSW student expecting to graduate in spring 2024. She formerly
served as the president of the Social Work Society in 2023 and is now the mental health
liaison, which is a position created during her presidency. In this position, Wade
works alongside staff and professors for the Corner for A Little Mindfulness space,
which was partially designed, sponsored, and later implemented by SWS during her presidency.
Mental health initiatives are sought to be advocated and implemented this 2024 calendar
year within Wade's role.
Legislative Head: Jacqueline Houston
Jacqueline Houston is a second-year student in the MSW and Master of Public Health
concurrent degree program, and is completing her clinical practicum at the Florida
Center for Survivors of Torture, a multidisciplinary regional treatment center which
provides survivors with intensive case management to access medical, social, legal,
and mental health services from providers who have been specially trained by the center
to work with this population. As the legislative head, Houston is appointed to the
USF Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) Committee to spearhead planning
for LEAD 2025, as well as LEAD-UP workshops to prepare students to fully participate
in the culminating learning experience at the Florida Capitol. Houston is most excited
to launch the "New Tactics in Human Rights" training series this summer.
Students interested in joining can expect to be involved in monthly general body meetings, volunteer opportunities in the community, advocacy workshops, and self-care activities in the newly launched Corner for a Little Mindfulness suite on the Tampa campus. Students are invited to join the Social Work Society in , and stay informed about future initiatives by connecting on .