Former UConn Master of Social Work student Dawn Brown remembers attending a social work conference as a graduate student and hearing people say, “I don’t want to let people know I’m a social worker.”
“As a social work student at the time, I was shocked and reminded that our words have a profound impact on the pride students will have in our profession,” Brown said. “I believe there’s a collective power and responsibility in not only saying who we are, but in demonstrating our profession’s values through our work and presence.”
Brown, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers Connecticut and Maine chapters, emphasized the importance of professional identity—and the growing need for social workers—during the UConn School of Social Work’s annual Convocation on Aug. 28.
As the event’s keynote speaker, Brown welcomed 123 new Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work students who gathered in person at the Wadsworth Atheneum, along with another 160 students participating online, including members of the Stamford cohort. These students are among almost 7,400 new undergraduates joining UConn Nation this week(opens in new tab) coming from 158 of Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities, along with 48 states and 78 countries.
Brown noted that there were approximately 715,000 social workers in the nation in 2020, and that number is predicted to reach 800,000 by the end of the decade.
“That would be 800,000 healers, social justice warriors, critical thinkers, research professionals, change agents and game changers,” Brown said, describing just some of the many roles social workers play in society.
Brown encouraged students to take pride in their profession and recognize the breadth of opportunities available to them. The breadth and depth of the training and skills social workers receive, she said, can open doors to careers across a wide range of settings and sectors.
Social Workers Belong Everywhere
After School of Social Work faculty and staff introduced themselves, Dean Laura Curran welcomed the new students and emphasized that social work is an impactful, versatile, and dynamic profession.
“With this degree, you can do so many things: work with children, older adults, veterans, or refugees; become a therapist or a community organizer, serve in schools, hospitals, housing programs, or government; teach, research, or lead nonprofits … Social work is everywhere—and social workers belong everywhere.”
Paula Nieman, BSW program director and assistant professor-in-residence, focused on another essential aspect of social work: human relationships.
Relationships, she said, do more than make social workers’ work more competent and effective. They are fundamental to how social workers create meaningful change.
“Social work isn’t a solo pursuit,” Nieman said. “Whether we’re working with an individual client or family, helping folks come together to create more just and sustainable communities, or advocating for programs and policies grounded in equity, human rights and social justice, to be effective social workers, we need to work in collaboration, in community, in relationship with each other.”
Rachel Schwartz, MSW program director and associate professor-in-residence, reminded students that they each bring unique perspectives and life experiences to the program.
“We know that many of you may be managing multiple roles and responsibilities at home, and yet you’re adding on another role now, as a student,” Schwartz said. “Perhaps you’re changing careers, returning to school after some time, or maybe you’re continuing shortly after completing your undergraduate degree.”
Schwartz encouraged students to recognize the value of those experiences while remaining open to new ones. “I hope that as you dive into your coursework and practicum, you allow yourself to be open to new experiences, expanding your knowledge, and learning about all the ways social workers create change,” she said.
Be Proud to be a Social Worker
Following Convocation, students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Hartford Times Building for lunch and meet-and-greets. Associate Professor Caitlin Elsaesser also led a special ice-breaking event for new MSW students pursuing the Individuals, Groups, and Families concentration.
In closing, Curran encouraged students to embrace ideas and experiences that challenge them throughout their time at the School.
“I hope you engage with ideas that challenge your thinking and make you uncomfortable—because that’s how you grow and learn to understand others, a key skill in social work,” she said.
“I hope you leave here more confident, more grounded and more inspired than ever to make a difference. And most of all, I hope you leave here proud to be a social worker.”
The Fall 2026 semester begins Aug. 31(opens in new tab) and ends Dec. 20. A Welcome Back Block Party and Resource Fair for the UConn Hartford campus will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 2.
Learn more about the UConn School of Social Work(opens in new tab).
View additional photos of the 2026 UConn School of Social Work Convocation and meet-and-greet below (Olivia Drake/UConn):
“You can show up to advocate for protection and rights for our marginalized communities … write our legislators, testify at public hearings and allocate for just equitable policies,” she said. “Compassion, when it shows up correctly and effectively, allows us to show up in all spaces and places, centering the human experience.”
