The Department of Human Service Studies celebrated the Class of 2026 and their internship supervisors at the annual Recognition Banquet on April 30 in the LaRose Student Commons.
Students, faculty, and community partners gathered in LaRose Student Commons on April 30 for the annual Human Service Studies banquet. The evening honored the program’s graduating seniors and the fieldwork supervisors who mentored them and included the Tau Upsilon Alpha Honor Society induction ceremony led by Professor Deidre Yancey. The evening’s closing remarks were delivered by Professor Emeritus Bud Warner.
Ruby Radis ’26 received the Outstanding Senior Award, Haleigh Cephus ’26 earned the Research Scholar Award and Hadley Studer ’26 recorded the highest score on the HSS Comprehensive Exam. The Al and Ruby West Scholarship was awarded to Mia O’Brien ’25.
Eleven students were inducted into Tau Upsilon Alpha, the national honor society for human services professionals: Brooke Aronowitz, Kate Carlson, Haleigh Cephus, Emma Dany, Olivia Feinstein, Rose Fyffe, Shayla Goba, Bronwyn Mulvaney, Alyson Pilloff, Rio Plumlee and Solène Smith.
Twelve of the 23 graduating seniors are heading directly to graduate school. Eight will pursue a Master of Social Work: Julia Bromfeld and Megan DeMarco at Rutgers; Jack Bull, Margaret Crawford, and Hannah Findling at the University of Michigan; Emily Lambert at NYU; Janeeta Smith at UNC; Chloe Vautrin at Boston College; and Elizabeth Sumner at Norfolk State. Sydney Goldstein will pursue a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lynn University, and Haleigh Cephus will also pursue a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling as part of Elon’s inaugural class.
Fieldwork placements are where HSS students do some of their most important learning, and the banquet set aside time to thank the supervisors who made that possible. Lasonya Moffett at ABSS Williams High School; Yolanda Whitted at BPD Youth Diversion; Nathaly Diaz at the Centre for New North Carolinians; Lisa Davis at the Dream Center; Sarah Black at the Exchange Club Family Center of the Central Piedmont; Jacque Anderson at the Family Justice Centre; Crystal O’Neil at the Graham Police Department; and Teresa Cuthbertson at the Guilford County Juvenile Detention Center were all recognized.
Also honored were Erika Nunnally at Head Start; Kenneth Jefferson at the Positive Attitude Youth Centre; Carolyn Carter and Todd Perry at Residential Treatment Services Agency; Breana Southerland and Caroline Laur at the Salvation Army; Phil Bowers and Emily Flack at Sustainable Alamance; Taylor Hicks at the Triad Health Project; and Jennifer Le and Katie Gantos at Twin Lakes.
The program congratulates the full Class of 2026: Aidan A. Bonomo, Julia T. Bromfeld, Jack L. Bull, Haleigh K. Cephus, Margaret L. Crawford, Megan E. DeMarco, Hannah W. Findling, Shayla M. Goba, Sydney H. Goldstein, Izzy Greenstein, Hailee S. Jaronko, Lauren R. Klappholz, Emily H. Lambert, Grace E. McGowan, Simon D. Mendelsohn, Darian V. Myers, Ruby T. Radis, Eden F. Redmond, Janeeta S. Smith, Julie R. Snow, Hadley Studer, Elizabeth M. Sumner and Chloe M. Vautrin.
-
Tony Reyes
Assistant Professor of Human Service Studies
-
Jessica Navarro
Assistant Professor of Human Service Studies
-
Vanessa Drew-Branch
Associate Professor of Human Service Studies
-
Deidre Yancey
Assistant Teaching Professor of Human Service Studies
-
Sandra Reid
Associate Teaching Professor of Human Service Studies
-
CJ Fleming
Assoc Professor of Psychology, Assoc Dir of Undergraduate Research, Chair of the Dept of Human Service Studies, Faculty Admin Fellow
-
Bud Warner
Adjunct Associate Professor Emeritus of Human Services Studies
-
Danielle Lake
Director of Design Thinking and Associate Professor of Human Service Studies