A social worker, explains NAACP National Board Member Scot X. Esdaile, is someone committed to improving human well-being — helping individuals, families, and communities overcome poverty, trauma, illness, addiction, abuse, and injustice. Social workers advocate for marginalized populations, challenge broken systems, and fight for human rights and dignity.

“In many ways, the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were social workers before the profession even had a formal name,” Esdaile says. “They organized communities, advocated for policy change, and fought for people whose voices too often went unheard.”

As the 2026 UConn School of Social Work Commencement speaker, Esdaile, who also served as president of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP branches, shared reflections on the field of social work and the importance of advocacy and social justice during the commencement ceremony, held May 9 in UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. For demonstrating a commitment to equity, justice, and transforming communities across Connecticut and beyond, Esdaile also received an honorary degree of Doctor of Law.

The honorary degree was the first conferred during the two-and-a-half-hour ceremony, during which 191 BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. degrees were awarded as part of UConn’s 147th Commencement. The School of Social Work degree recipients are among 8,202 new UConn alumni entering the workforce.

School of Social Work Dean Laura Curran also spoke to the graduating class. While social work is not an easy path, it is a meaningful one, she said.

“You are entering a profession that asks you to stand at the intersection of complexity and compassion. You will face injustice, inequity, and human suffering — but you will also witness resilience, courage, and transformation,” Curran said. “You graduate at a time when the values at the heart of social work — equity, inclusion, human rights, and democracy — are being tested. But this is precisely why your role matters so deeply.”

UConn Senior Vice Provost Amy Gorin spoke on behalf of the Office of the President and the Provost’s Office.

“Social work asks you to listen closely, act courageously, and stand firmly for those whose voices are too often unheard,” Gorin said. “It also offers the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives and in the systems that shape them.”

Whether the graduates go on to serve in schools, healthcare settings, community organizations, or policy arenas, “you carry forward the values of this institution and this profession. You are prepared to respond to the needs of today, and to help shape a more just and compassionate tomorrow,” she said.

School of Social Work Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Scott Harding then introduced three student speakers: Sydney Rodriguez ’26; Alana Frenkel ’26 MSW; and Viviana Mora ’26 MSW. Harding also was recognized for retiring at the end of the academic year after serving the School of Social Work for more than two decades.

Rodriguez spoke about the importance of holding onto faith: “For yourself, [and] your clients need someone to keep faith in them.” Frenkel shared lessons gleaned as a student: presence, purpose, and privilege.

“As students,” she said, “we are taught not only the history of social work, but also what it means to be a social worker. No matter our social identities, we are encouraged to examine and recognize our points of privilege or bias. This is not just a single occurrence, but a continued practice across our lives as we consistently unlearn the habits that we have been socialized into.”

Mora, a first-generation Latina student, delivered her entire speech in Spanish. She spoke about being the daughter of immigrants, her experience in the CT Adelante! Scholars Program, and her commitment to helping Latino families and improving access to culturally informed mental health and social services. Her remarks drew sustained applause from the audience.

Following the speeches, Cristina Mogro-Wilson, the Henry M. and Judith M. Zachs Chair in Social Work, professor, and director of the Ph.D. Program at UConn, welcomed the six Doctor of Philosophy candidates to the stage. Each candidate was hooded by their respective dissertation committee chair.

During the second portion of the ceremony, Gorin presented for conferral, the candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Social Work, and Doctor of Philosophy. “By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Trustees of the University of Connecticut, and in accordance with the procedures and regulations of the University, I confer upon you the degree of Bachelor, Master, or Doctor for which you have been presented at the 146th Commencement of the University,” Gorin stated.

Despite the rain, event concluded with graduates gathering with family and friends on the front steps of Jorgensen.

“Because we are such a close-knit community at the School of Social Work, commencement is both joyful and bittersweet,” Curran said. “We are incredibly proud to see them step into careers where they will make a profound difference in the lives of others.”

View additional photos below or the preliminary 2026 UConn School of Social Work graduation photo album online here.