Niagara University’s Social Work program opened the school year with its Fall Town Hall and Rite of Passage ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 3. The town hall each year serves as an introduction to the program for freshmen, while fostering community among all social work students.
The Rite of Passage ceremony was started this year to honor the seniors in the program as they prepare for their practicum and the work that will come after graduation. Social work requires a commitment and adherence to professional values, ethics, and traditions. The badge each senior receives is a reminder to those pillars of professionalism.
“Each fall, our social work seniors begin one of the most significant milestones in their journey to becoming professional social workers – field practicum,” said Kaylyn Townsend-Kensinger, MSW, faculty fellow of social work. “Over the course of the year, students will dedicate 450 hours to learning, serving, and applying their social work knowledge and skills in real-world practice settings.”
Madeleine Olaniyan, ’27, is one of the seniors acknowledged at the ceremony. She said, “I feel nervous and excited going into my senior year and practicum. It’s going to be a difficult to juggle everything, and there will be many trials and errors, but I’m excited for all the new people I will meet and all the new skills I will learn and improve on.”
“We invite our seniors to wear their badges with pride as they step into the field and begin to see themselves not only as students of social work, but as social workers in the making,” said Townsend-Kensinger.
The badges are meant to serve as a reminder of the next step these students are taking in their lives.
Niagara University’s social sork program combines hands-on learning with commitment to social justice, preparing you to work impactful careers with integrity in diverse fields. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), we equip you with the skills to address the needs of individuals, families, and communities.
