UW School of Social Work E-news
Winter 2009  |  Return to issue home

Voices: Reflections on the School of Social Work

Karen Hope Bancroft
Karen Bancroft

"The School of Social Work has shaped me into a more stable and responsible person. It demands that I open my mind to new ways of thinking. It has shown me a door out of homelessness and into a new beginning. As a co-teacher and assistant teacher for the school, I can bring my experience into the classroom, and I believe this encourages students to share their experiences too. My research is on the marginalization of Chinese immigrants and white prostitutes in U.S. western Chinatowns in the late 1800s/early 1900s. I hope to be accepted as a professor when I graduate."
─ Karen Hope Bancroft, doctoral student

Kevin Kawamoto
Kevin Kawamoto

"With students, faculty, and staff at the school, I shared ideas, perspectives, concerns, resources and hopes for the future. On many occasions I thought, 'Where else would I be able to find a gathering of people in any one place who are so committed to social justice?' I felt I had discovered my spiritual tribe. When I began specializing in multigenerational social work, I also discovered a gold mine of expertise in the school. I had joined a network of passionate citizen-scholars in the academy and community. Now I feel a lifelong bond with my mentors, colleagues and friends as we continue our work from wherever we are in the world. I thank the school for sharpening my vision, agitating my conscience and linking me to people who reinforce my core values of social justice, multiculturalism, and the right to live with dignity at all stages of life."
─ Kevin Kawamoto, MSW ’06, associate professor at the University of Hawaii School of Communications

We'll feature more alums, as well as students, faculty and staff, in future issues of the newsletter.

 

Winter 2009  |  Return to issue home