Future Leaders
Social Policy & Practice Student Council
They’re from New York, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Taipei, and the diversity of their field placements and professional goals is indicative of the countless areas of practice within social work. But the members of the 2006 – 2007 Student Council have in common their commitment to enhancing the academic and social experiences of their classmates at the School of Social Policy & Practice.
Craig Hyland, Nicole Moore, Solaris Power, and Connie Hoe (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, respectively), will spend their term working on an impressive list of goals. In setting their agenda for the year, the Executive Board identified four areas on which to focus: increasing connections between students and alumni; coordinating a more equitable process for distributing money to student organizations; enhancing communication between the student organizations; and offering more social events for students throughout the year. Additionally, this year’s Executive Board will serve as the Graduating Class Gift Committee.
As a result of the School’s Nonprofit/Non-governmental Leadership and Social Policy programs, Student Council – for the first time – will represent the interests of students other than those enrolled in only the MSW program. Excited about this expansion, the Executive Board has created new student council positions for a representative from each new academic program.
Monthly Student Council meetings are open to all students and serve as a forum for sharing updates from student groups and reports from academic and sequence committees, as well as addressing issues of concern among members of the student body. The Student Council also coordinates monthly Dean’s Meetings, at which all students are invited to meet with Deans Gelles, Hartocollis, and Bourjolly to raise questions, offer suggestions, or discuss issues affecting students.
The 2006 – 2007 Student Council Executive Board
(pictured at right L-R: Craig Hyland, Connie Hoe, Nicole Moore, Solaris Power)
Craig Hyland (New York), Student Council President, majored in Social Work at Skidmore College. As a macro concentrator with a deep commitment for LGBT activism, he is completing his second year field placement at the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund in Philadelphia. Craig is pursuing post-graduation opportunities to work for the government or a non-profit organization next year, doing program management, policy analysis/lobbying, or focusing on education issues. Still actively involved with his undergraduate institution, where he founded the Skidmore College LGBT Alumni Association, Craig spends much of his time serving as his class secretary and an Admissions Alumni Contact. Last year, Craig was the President of Queer Social Workers at Penn (QSWAP).
Nicole Moore (New Jersey), Student Council Vice President, received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a clinical concentration, from Washington College. As the sole direct-practice concentrator on the Executive Board, Nicole’s field placement is at Northwestern Human Services (Lehigh Ave), where she does outpatient child, adolescent, and family therapy. After graduation, Nicole plans to either continuing working in an outpatient setting or work at a school as she works towards becoming an LCSW. Outside of Student Council, Nicole participates in her sorority alumni chapter.
Solaris Power (Washington, DC), Student Council Secretary, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, where she majored in Psychology. With plans to attend law school after graduating from the MSW program in May, Solaris’ current field placement at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in Victim Services is preparing her for her career path. In addition to her academic and extracurricular commitments at the School, Solaris belongs to a Philadelphia community Buddhist organization and is involved in LGBT advocacy.
Connie Hoe (Taipei, Taiwan), Student Council Treasurer, came to the United States six years ago to attend Johns Hopkins University. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences, but is now a social work macro-concentrator with a field placement at Philadelphia Safe and Sound. Connie has a strong interest in international human rights and, consequently, is involved with Students for International Social Work at the School. Additionally, she hopes to work at an international organization after graduation before applying for a PhD program.