On Friday, February 1, 2019, the 涩里番下载 School of Social Work (涩里番下载SSW) and the 涩里番下载SSW Alumni Board will present the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards to Tanya L. Sharpe, PhD 鈥�07*, and Lamar A. Polk, MSW 鈥�09, at the Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Lecture and Distinguished Alumni Awards. We had a chance to speak with both of them prior to the award ceremony.
Distinguished Recent Alumni Winner Lamar A. Polk, MSW 鈥�09
Lamar Polk, LICSW, CCM, C-ASWCM, is a clinical social worker for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) at Shattuck Hospital, and works as a part-time clinical care manager for Beacon Health Options. Polk is also completing his master鈥檚 degree in public health at Dartmouth College.
What role has 涩里番下载SSW played in your career?
LP: One of the things that I most value about my 涩里番下载 education is the access to professional opportunities. I don't think I'd be in my current job if I hadn't gone to 涩里番下载SSW and made meaningful connections. My very first field placement was with the DPH at the Lemuel听Shattuck Hospital. Over the years, I kept in touch with different social workers in the department. When they had this open position, the director contacted me and asked me to apply. It all came full circle.听 听
What does this award mean to you?
LP: I'm excited, I'm humbled, I'm a little overwhelmed. I don't necessarily think there's anything special about me; I do the things I do because I'm a social worker and to me they're all dimensions of social work. Any time that I'm practicing, I'm trying to do as much as I can for the client. I think that's just the nature of being a social worker. At our core, we're just good people; we're passionate about helping and passionate about making the world better. We don't necessarily see that as unique or overly special, but it really is.
Distinguished Alumni Winner Tanya L. Sharpe, PhD 鈥�07
Tanya Sharpe, MSW, PhD, is an associate professor and Chair in Social Work in the Global Community at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Dr. Sharpe鈥檚 research and practice focuses on the coping strategies of Black survivors of homicide victims and the development of culturally appropriate interventions to better support their grief.
What was your experience in the 涩里番下载SSW PhD program?
TS: I was very, very clear in my application statement that, for me, this area of research was not a job or a research project; it was a calling. I take it very seriously. I made a personal commitment to the survivor community to create programming that reflects their voices. I recognized that getting a PhD wasn't just getting a degree, it was making sure that community members鈥攚ho looked like me and hadn鈥檛 been represented before鈥攃ould have a seat at the table. My professors and my cohort members always held a space for that; always honored that. It was an unparalleled sense of community and support. It was a great environment where people really wanted to see me thrive. People remarked on how close our cohort was, and I think we created a sense of family; a sense of peer support that was instrumental to each of our successes.
What does this award mean to you?
TS: It's such an honor that I am remembered, now almost 12 years after graduating. The individuals that I serve, who are so often voiceless, have a voice through this award. It means so much to recognize the importance of those who, historically and currently, are marginalized and disenfranchised through so many forms of structural violence. I accept the award on behalf of them. That's what means the most to me.
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*Flight cancellations due to the polar vortex prevented Sharpe from attending the ceremony. She gave her acceptance speech via video, and C. Shawn McGuffey, associate professor of sociology, accepted the award on her behalf.听