Dear Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff,
This is my last letter as the Director of the School of Social Work. As I head off into retirement, I am happy to announce that Dr. Jong Won Min, who has been the Associate Director for the past four years, will be assuming the role of Director.
Today’s social workers face many challenges and we are needed more than ever. Issues that are before all of us are families being separated and experiencing multiple traumas, shootings of unarmed Black men, underfunded schools, high rates of incarceration, hunger and food insecurity, and cutbacks in funding in the safety nets for our clients. Sometimes it just seems overwhelming but social workers continue to uphold the values of our profession and the Code of Ethics and to advocate for fair policies.
If you are interested in working to address some of these issues, particularly regarding immigrant families, here are some resources. You may remember Carmen Chavez who spoke at our All School Day panel this past March. She works for Casa Cornelia. Our graduate, Angela Fujii, MSW, works for the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego as the Social Justice and South Bay Ministry Teams Coordinator. She can be reached at angela@firstuusandiego.org. Other agencies that could use volunteers include Border Angels, the ACLU, and the American Friends Service Committee.
I am proud of the education that our students receive at the SDSU School of Social Work. It prepares them to focus on social justice, advocacy, as well as for practice with individuals, families, and communities. We love the diversity of our students and our clients and our goal is to serve the San Diego community, working in our 300+ community partner agencies. Knowing that the next generation of social workers is being well prepared makes me hopeful for the future.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Min as our new Director! He looks forward to continuing the great work of our School.
Warm regards,
Mindy Hohman, Ph.D.
