BUSSW Graduation Features PHSW Alumna Ellen McCurley
Cheers, tears, and words of inspiration marked the BUSSW graduation ceremony on Friday, May 15, at BU’s state of the art Fitness and Recreation Center. More than 140 students from both the Charles River and Off-Campus programs donned gowns and mortar boards. Student speakers Esther Hill, from the Charles River Campus, and Suzanne Otte, from the Off-Campus Program’s Cape Cod Campus, addressed the crowd of family and friends. View photos>>
Student achievements were celebrated, including outstanding awards to: Kathleen Bray (Sarah Lange Prize for Social Change); Esther Hill (Carl D’Ettore Prize); Elana Klein and Jonathan Karanja (Herbert S. Strean Prize); and Marisa Soch and Ashley Wickam (Saul and David Bernstein Prize). An additional award, the Ruth Cowin Prize, was presented to Lisa Cremer at an earlier reception.
Outstanding teaching was also recognized as Professor Janice Furlong was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award.
Honored speaker Ellen McCurley, herself a BU graduate (SSW ’05, SPH ‘06), issued a passionate call to action to the 2009 graduating class. McCurley calls herself a public health social worker and is a clinician who provides individual and group counseling on the North Shore., She is also a well-known international activist who co-founded the Pendulum Project. Through The Pendulum Project, a non-profit organization, McCurley and her team provide needed treatment and supplies for orphans and vulnerable children in Malawi.
McCurley described how the country has suffered tremendous loss in life and health outcomes due to the HIV/AIDS crisis.She also noted what her nonprofit has been able to accomplish for orphaned children who need HIV treatment themselves, as well as the grandparents who are left to raise their grandchildren and need support providing for the children. But she reminded the audience that “Social justice is not charity. Africa is not a hopeless situation.” Describing the increased awareness for health care as a human right, she also acknowledged the support from celebrities, such as Bono and Jeffrey Sachs, to the communities and team members who are on the ground transforming villages and families through community gardens, educational dramas, orphan care centers, community care, and emergency transportation like ambulance bicycles.
And, while the geographical distance between Malawi and Boston appears great, McCurley stated, “People here suffer from a lot of the same problems I see in Africa. My clients here deal with pervasive issues, like chronic disease and poverty.” The key factor, McCurley suggested, is the work of people who care, such as social workers. She said, “Social work is a spiritual vocation. It’s a privilege to hear [people’s] stories. It’s an honor to peer into the human social. It’s science and art.” To the graduating class she advised, “Use research to inform your work, be out in the field, and stay close to the people and the issues.”
Following McCurley’s speech, degrees were conferred, including three doctoral degrees for Christiana Bratitotis, Lisa De Saxe Zerden, and Rolanda Ward, who graduated from the School’s Interdisciplinary PhD program in Sociology and Social Work.
About BUSSW:
Distinguished by its urban mission and concentrations in clinical and macro practice, the Boston University School of Social Work is committed to educating masters’ and doctoral level students who will become leaders in a multicultural environment. The School offers the MSW and PhD degrees, as well as continuing professional education, and its nationally recognized faculty has been ranked 8th among schools of social work with doctoral programs. Located in a diverse and academically rich community, the School offers almost unlimited opportunities for urban social work practice and research. Visit bu.edu/ssw for more information.
About Boston University:
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.