Dear CSSW Community,
Congratulations on nearing the end of the semester. I commend each of you for your hard work over the last several months in your courses and practicum placements.
Last week, it was wonderful to celebrate CSSW at our 125th Anniversary Luncheon, Reflecting on our Past, Celebrating our Future. We honored CSSW’s legacy as the first school of social work in the nation and we also recognized three outstanding awardees: Professor Nabila El-Bassel for her innovative research, RobinHood for their partnership with the Poverty Center to eradicate hardship among the neediest New Yorkers, and Dr. Jessica Bartley, the social worker who founded and directs Psychological Services for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. All were able to share wonderful stories of how they are contributing to the world in unique ways, and we emphasized the importance of fundraising for more scholarship support for our students. There is no question that there is much work ahead of us, and it is still important to remember all we’ve accomplished together including the incredible work of social workers in myriad organizations.
As we transition to our collective time off, I hope each of you can rest and take a breath. This season has the ability to conjure up a slew of emotions–joy and grief being front and center. Taking care of ourselves is one of the best ways to help others in turn. Rest can be both revolutionary and restorative. I am looking forward to spending time with dear friends and family, hikes, and being out in nature as much as possible, which I find to be healing.
In addition to the holidays that many in our community will be celebrating this month, I hope you were able to hold space for World AIDS Day on December 1 and that you’ll join me in recognizing Universal Human Rights Month. Both of these important commemorations speak to the importance of human relationships, which I know we share as a core social work value.
I am grateful to each of you for what you bring to our community on campus and beyond. This season, may you find time to take care of yourselves.
Wishing you all the best in the new year,
Melissa
