Two graduate students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work have been selected for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program.
Mariel Eaves and Alexa Fe Skandar will participate in the program during the 2021-2022 academic year. As fellows, they will receive specialized training, mentorship, and support for professional development, in addition to a quarterly stipend.
Both students are currently enrolled in the Master of Social Work program. Eaves has worked as an administrative support specialist for UNC LGBTQ Center and is interested in combating ableism, racism, and cisheterosexism. Skandar has worked as a senior research aide for the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy and is interested in working with Latino communities.
Trenette Clark Goings, Spears-Turner Distinguished Professor at UNC School of Social Work, participated in the Minority Fellowship Program herself as a doctoral student and has served on the program’s advisory board. She has been a strong advocate for the program at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“I am absolutely thrilled that two of our students were awarded the fellowship this year,” she said. “Our School has some of the brightest and most talented students in the world.
“Many of our students are committed to working with BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color] to reduce the impact of substance use disorder and mental illness in those communities,” Goings added. “Given the education, research, and community engagement activities in our School, we are uniquely positioned to train MSW students to do this work very well.”
The CSWE Minority Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding students who demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing the behavioral health needs of underserved racial/ethnic populations. Eaves and Skandar are among a national cohort of 45 MSW students selected for the fellowship.
