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Seniors, recent graduates in social work earn acceptance to prestigious graduate schools

By Anne Keasling '03
April 20, 2002

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Three senior social work majors have been accepted at two of the most prestigious graduate schools of social work in the United States. Aaron Banman and Lindsay Smith will attend Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City this fall. Zachary Olson will pursue his graduate degree at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.



St. Olaf seniors (from left) Zachary Olson, Lindsay Smith and Aaron Banman look forward to continuing their studies in social work at two of the most prestigious graduate schools in the United States. Photo by Carole Engblom.

"It is unusual for a social work graduates to apply directly to graduate school from St. Olaf," says Mary Carlsen, an associate professor of social work at the college and director of the social work program. "For three of our seniors to be accepted directly from our program to these prestigious schools is noteworthy."

St. Olaf's baccalaureate social work program celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1997-98 and has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1990.

Social work majors at the college take courses in psychology, sociology and biology. They also study social and cultural diversity relative to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic class and geographic location. Students who have completed prerequisite courses apply to the program during the junior year. Once they're admitted, they begin a rigorous study of social work policy and practice.

During fall semester of their senior year, social work students undertake an individually designed field practicum, which provides at least 400 hours of experience with clients in the Twin Cities or other communities.

Banman completed his practicum at Rice County Social Services in Faribault. He worked with Sudanese immigrants, Spanish-speaking families, deaf adults and children, and impoverished people on welfare. He plans to pursue advanced generalist practice at Columbia, which will allow him to continue working with a variety of populations.

Olson, who hopes to focus on gerontology, or the study of aging, at Washington University, fulfilled his practicum as a full-time mental health case manager with Hennepin County. He received a $20,000 scholarship to study at the school.

Smith organized her practicum with the Early Childhood Family Education Center in Faribault, where she worked with teen mothers and children with special needs and conducted research on Somali and Sudanese populations. Smith also traveled to Norway with other social work students to work in a refugee camp last summer.

Social work students at St. Olaf are encouraged to study or work abroad. "Diverse global traditions, histories and methods of helping are increasingly crucial for social workers to understand," Carlsen explains.

Additionally, two 2001 St. Olaf graduates have been accepted to prestigious graduate programs. Patti McKieran began the joint masters of social work and juris doctor degree program at Washington University in St. Louis last fall. Sean Thomas Breitfeld has been accepted for advanced standing at Columbia University, but will defer enrollment until the fall of 2003 when he finishes his policy work for the National Council of la Raza in Washington, D.C.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with more than two-thirds of its students participating in international studies.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.