Siena's First Masters of Social Work

Siena just graduated its first cohort of students with a master's degree in social work, and all eight are either already employed or weighing job offers. As a testament to that success, the program will welcome a cohort that is triple the size this fall.

Katie Bickel, Adriana Fatato, Lizzy Giacomazza, Carlos Gonzalez, Hannah Kelly, Yasemin Knott, Erin McClernan and Emma Snizek (all Siena '25 BSW and '26 MSW) received their diplomas at the graduate Commencement and headed right out into the workforce.

Kelly is already at Chatham Middle School as a school social worker and said Siena's MSW program provided her not only with an education in the field, but with the skills and supports she will utilize throughout her professional career.

"The professors truly care about the students and want to see them succeed," said Kelly. "They are willing to do whatever is necessary to benefit their students, whether it be writing letters of recommendations, serving as references, or just offering students the encouragement you didn't know that you needed, pushing you to make the leap and apply for the job."

Fatato is also serving young students as a social worker at Destine Preparatory Charter School in Schenectady.

"Siena's MSW program prepared me in many ways for entering the field," she said. "It taught me how to integrate essential communication and care skills into real life situations."

She said she was grateful that the Siena program "created a community and safe space" where students were able to bounce ideas off each other and ask questions that were critical to their learning.

"It gave me a chance to explore areas I was passionate about through class content and my internship opportunity. I learned what I love and where I wanted to land in the workforce, and I thank the whole department for helping me to get where I am today and where I am heading in my future."

Snizek just started her job as a resource coordinator at the School Mental Health Resource Training Center (SMHRT) at the Mental Health Association of New York State.

"Siena's MSW program prepared me for getting a job by discussing how to integrate our roles as social workers into all aspects of the social work profession. The skills learned within this program allowed me to navigate through the interview process - acknowledging all I have learned made me a strong candidate."

For those interested in the MSW: if you have a bachelor's degree in social work and a social work GPA of 3.0 or better, you qualify for advanced standing status and can complete the MSW in one year of full-time study, technically a 4+1 program. Students from other majors (and all majors are welcome) enroll for two years of study. This fall, 23 students will be part of Siena's MSW program, six of them in the one-year program and 17 in the two-year.

Elisa Martin, Ph.D., MSW program director and professor of social work, said, "When students complete Siena's MSW program, they graduate with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to enter the workforce." Stacy Rogers, LMSW, assistant director of social work programs, added, "Siena's social work program builds community among students and faculty that embody the values of the profession. Students are never on this journey alone, even after they graduate."

Social work students complete 900+ hours of social work field work before they graduate, through a large network of community partners where they are placed based on their personal interests and professional goals. They meet each week in a seminar class during their senior year and throughout the graduate program to connect what they are learning in the field to classroom content. During their seminar time, they are also reflecting on their own experiences of professional growth.