Annie Avila ’22 receives award from national social work organization

Annie Avila ’22 fueled her passion for helping families in need during her time at Salve Regina. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work and working in the field, and her efforts have been noticed. She recently received the Promising Practitioners Award from the Rhode Island chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Balancing a double major and extracurriculars

Avila was a double major in administration of justice and social work at Salve Regina. Outside of the classroom, she was an intern for the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention and served on the executive board for the Social Work Club. She also joined Phi Alpha, the honor society for social work.

Additionally, Avila was the co-founder of the Hispanic and Latinx Student Organization, which she notes was one of her proudest accomplishments. “I was able to work alongside other students who shared the same experience as me and wanted to create a safe space for the Latinx community on campus,” she said.

Avila also noted the support of two faculty members who shaped her time at Salve Regina. Vincent Petrarca, senior lecturer in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, was Avila’s advisor and helped to determine her intended career path. Dr. Mary Montminy-Danna, professor in the Department of Social Work, was another influential figure.

“Professor Petrarca saw me grow into the person I am today,” she said. “He cares about his students and truly advocates for them. Dr. Montminy-Danna believed in me and always supported me in my decision of double majoring.”

The social work faculty nominated Avila for the Promising Practitioners Award, which she received in late 2022. “I am very thankful for receiving this award and being chosen as someone who exemplifies a future social worker,” she said.

The connection between administration of justice and social work

Avila loved seeing how her majors fit together inside the classroom and post-graduation. “I was able to see a lot of overlap on concepts that I had learned in class and was able to look at the topics from the different lenses of social work and administration of justice,” she said.

After graduation, Avila began working as a clinician at the North American Family Institute, a nonprofit human service agency helping children and adults with mental health and behavioral issues in Warwick, Rhode Island.

“Over the past year, I have worked closely with at risk-youth and have been able to provide services and support to families in need,” she said. “I am proud to use my Spanish language skills in the field, especially to assist communities that are faced with language barriers.”

The week after graduating from Salve Regina, Avila started the advanced standing Master of Social Work program at Rhode Island College and is anticipated to graduate in May 2023. After earning her master’s degree, she hopes to continue working with family and children in need in Rhode Island and Connecticut by obtaining her licensure.

Article written by student writer Morgan Rizzo ’23