Bill Valente M.S.W. '11 Named NASW Social Work Student of the Year

On March 11, 2011 in Albany, the New York chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) recognized Bill Valente M.S.W. '11 as its Social Work Student of the Year. The award, presented during the chapter's annual conference, honors Mr. Valente as a student who "personifies the values of the Social Work Profession" in his university and community through leadership skills, academic excellence, social initiatives, and a commitment to advocacy.

While at Adelphi's Hudson Valley Center, Mr. Valente has been involved in a wide array of activities—in the Hudson Valley community through work at local hospitals and mediation centers, on campus as a volunteer tutor and a graduate assistant to Professor Diann Cameron Kelly, and in the classroom as a dedicated, successful student.

Mr. Valente came to Adelphi through his work with Dr. Margaret Gray, assistant professor of political science, on her research into immigrant farm workers in the Hudson Valley region.

"Bill was indispensible to my project," Professor Gray said. "His fluency in Spanish, sense of humor, and easy manner with the workers we interviewed helped relax the interviewees. Moreover, his insights about workers' situations offered me an additional perspective about their stories."

Following graduation, he plans to continue to serve the local community. Among other work, he is currently engaged in setting up a drop-in Spanish-language mental health clinic in Poughkeepsie.

"I didn't know what social work meant when I came to Adelphi, but it felt right," Mr. Valente said. "Now this work is what I want to do."

For more information on Adelphi University and the School of Social Work, please visit http://socialwork.adelphi.edu/.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.