News Archive
Alumni
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Beth Lucas, MSW ’98, has joined the USC School of Social Work Board of Councilors.
An ardent advocate for at-risk youth, Lucas has dedicated her career to bettering their lives through two decades of work with teens in group homes, gang members in schools, victims of domestic violence, the severely and persistently mentally ill, and kids in the foster and adoption systems.
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The USC School of Social Work has added three new members to its Board of Councilors, two of which are alumni.
Catherine Hutto Gordon, MSW ’97, and Eileen Hutto, president and vice president, respectfully, of the Hutto Patterson Charitable Foundation, are the newest members to join the school’s board.
The foundation, which Gordon’s and Hutto’s mother founded, focuses on providing access to education and recently endowed a scholarship at the school for students pursuing the growing field of military social work to help families cope with the stresses of military life.
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Growing up in poverty, David Kuroda, MSW ‘ 72, never thought he could afford to go to college, nevermind a top-notch university like USC.
That’s a large part of the reason why he wanted to make sure he provided for future generations of social workers by including the USC School of Social Work in his will.
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Growing up in South Los Angeles, USC School of Social Work alumna Rosa Johnson, MSW ’12, knows first-hand the importance of having mentors and a network of people who not only support you but also push and encourage you to excel.
“By the time I graduated high school, I was lost,” Johnson said. “I didn't know my options, I didn't have access to financial resources, and I really didn't understand my potential.”
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The California Social Work Hall of Distinction has announced USC School of Social Work Dean and Professor Emeritus Rino Patti, DSW ’67, will be among its 2012 inductees—along with three other alumni—to be honored for their distinguished career achievements and exceptional contributions to social welfare in California.
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It’s been more than 50 years since Helen Ramirez, MSW ’59, was a student at the USC School of Social Work, but her connection remains as strong as ever. Every year, the Vista, Calif., retiree autographs her check, stamps the envelope and drops her gift in the mailbox—like she has for the last three decades.
“I feel very passionate about education,” she said. “Education opened the doors of opportunity for me, and I always try to pay back. That’s my motivation.”
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If you’re a bank that serves a community that may not be the most savvy when it comes to finances and tends to be wary of banking in general, what do you do to encourage people to use your services?
You enlist the help of social workers, who are well-versed in community outreach and education.
That’s the tactic East Los Angeles’ Pan American Bank took when it hired two USC School of Social Work alumni to develop and lead its financial literacy program.
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Dwight Tate, MSW ’77, has made a five-year pledge to the USC School of Social Work to help train students to become agents of change in their communities.
Tate hopes his gift of $52,000 will help support students interested in the school’s Community Organization, Planning and Administration concentration, which he studied as a student.
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Master of Social Work students Victoria Torres and Kyra Haglund are the first recipients of the Pamela and Mark A. Mischel Family Endowed Scholarship, which supports students pursuing studies in military social work at the USC School of Social Work.
A $50,000 gift from Pamela and Mark Mischel, parents of Alyson Mischel, MSW ’00, established the scholarship for students pursuing the school’s Military Social Work and Veteran Services sub-concentration.
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Mark Spratt, a member of the USC School of Social Work Board of Councilors, has established a scholarship to aid students who support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
The $50,000 gift created the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work, in honor of Spratt’s partner, for students who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBT matters through academic work, community involvement or other personal contributions.