The Social Work Experience

In this episode, we have a raw, honest conversation with two members of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe — Julie Dominguez, who holds the role of Community Education Chair for the tribe, and Joey Torres, who holds the role of Culture Bearer. Julie and Joey speak to the tribe's quest for federal recognition, what sovereignty means to them, the lingering repercussions of colonialism, what social workers and...

In this episode, we interview two guests—Karen Mestizo and Wendy Kinnear-Rausch—working in child welfare in Santa Clara County. We discuss the successes and challenges that folx working in child welfare face and discuss the lenses from which Karen and Wendy approach their work. While their perspectives differ, both guests amplify the importance of working in partnership with children, youth, and f...

In this episode, co-hosts Ana, Britt, and Roberto speak with Stephen Burke about his experience treating individuals with Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders in his role as the Director of 7th Avenue Center, an in-patient care organization in Santa Cruz, CA. Stephen has been doing incredible work in the field of mental health care and discusses the human-centered way he goes about treating both clien...

In this episode, hosts Ana, Roberto, and Britt interview SJSU social work professor and Executive Director of Ujima Adult and Family Services, Yvonne Maxwell , to talk about how social workers can move from discussion to action by building our own solutions to real community needs. The hosts also reflect on the first step of the Native Governance Center’s Beyond Land Acknowledgment Guide . You can...

In this episode, hosts Ana, Roberto, and Britt interview SJSU's newest social work professor, Dr. Babe Kawaii-Bogue, and discuss how social workers can begin to disrupt white supremacy and anti-blackness in both our personal and professional lives. In an effort to move from discussion to action, hosts will begin following this Beyond Land Acknowledgement Guide from the Native Governance Center...

In this episode, new hosts Roberto, Britt, and Ana launch season 4 with an introduction to this year’s season and a look ahead at what’s to come. They sit down with Dr. Peter Allen Lee, Director of the School of Social Work at San José State University, who reflects on his journey in social work, the evolution of the field, and offers thoughtful advice for new social workers entering the field.

In this episode, Jessica, Maddy, and Luna will be signing off as hosts. This time, we'll start off with the transcultural corner to learn about Josefa Llanes Escoda, who was an influential social worker from the AAPI community. We'll then dive into a conversation where we reflect on the past year and discuss our next steps after graduation. It was great being your hosts for this school yea...

Happy Arab American Heritage Month! In this episode, we dive into important parts of Arab American heritage, covering the sociopolitical context of how Arab Americans have come to be recognized as a distinct community, exploring how to best serve and support Arab Americans, and learning about the dabke, a folk dance that is enjoyed across the Levant. Special thanks to Parisa and Michael for their...

March is National Social Work month, and in this episode, we'll be highlighting the amazing contributions that social workers across the field make in their areas of work. This month's episode features a positive news section highlighting the heroic efforts of an incredible social worker, an expert discussion with medical social work student Kat Alvarado, and a look into the importance of...

It’s February, and love is in the air! For this episode, we’ll be celebrating Black History Month, uplifting Black joy, challenging mainstream notions of love, discussing how to queer the idea of love, and honoring the historical figures that have shaped Black History. For any questions or comments, feel free to email us at swgsa.podcastchair@gmail.com or reach out to Luna, Jessica, or Maddy! Link...

As the days get darker and winter draws near, there is nothing more comforting than a steaming mug of hot cocoa. Winter is a time to reflect, recharge, and begin looking forward to a new year. In this short and sweet episode, we highlight some positive news and share different holiday traditions from a multicultural lens. The royalty free music used in this episode comes from Uppbeat and Adobe Pod...

For Episode 3 of Season 3, we'll be discussing how to get involved in macro level social work, highlighting political advocacy, exploring the idea of encouraging voter engagement as an act of social work, providing nonpartisan summaries of the California Propositions on the ballot for the 2024 election cycle, and speaking with an honorable veteran social worker. To learn more about voting advocacy...

Happy October, and happy Hispanic Heritage Month! As Halloween approaches, the Social Work Experience co-hosts are here to dispel the scary mysteries around admissions and make applying to a graduate social work program more approachable. This time, we’ll be chatting with both online/hybrid and on-campus students, prioritizing positivity, getting faculty perspectives from Dr. Wolf and Dr. Nguyen,...

Welcome to season 3 of the Social Work Experience podcast! For the '24-'25 school year, we have Maddy Western, Luna Khalil, and Jessica Silva as our hosts. During this episode, we’ll be covering how to navigate first day jitters, prioritizing self care, and how to beat the back-to-school blues.  Thank you to our special guests Jessica Salza Rybnikar, Wendy Siguenza, Mackenzie Minard, Julia...

On this final episode of Season 2, Jess and Tanvi sign off for the last time after talking about commencement with SWGSA Commencement Chair Zitlaly. Stay tuned until the very end to hear some very special messages from the class of 2024.

In this episode, we speak with Melissa, a second year SJSU MSW student, about her personal experience with neurodivergence in the grad school experience. Tune in to hear about one of the many perspectives of what being neurodivergent can mean inside the classroom.

On this episode, we talk to Mikey and Maddy about Lobby Days! Tune in for information about what lobby days is, what is the importance of lobby days, and how to get involved! SJSU MSW Program Admissions Page: https://www.sjsu.edu/socialwork/admissions/aply-msw/index.php Follow us on Instagram: @sjsuswgsa @uswasjsu @sjsusocialwork

On our 5th episode of Season 2, we talk with MSW Student Diego about how we all feel about starting the new semester. Later, we talk with SWGSA President Paola about time management skills we learned that help us manage grad school! Episode Markers: Starting a New Semester with Diego: 0:00-20:33 Announcements: 20:33-20:48 Time Management with Paola: 20:48-50:27 SJSU MSW Program Admissions Page: ht...

On the fourth episode of Season 2, we lead a discussion with Valeria (USWA President!) about what imposter syndrome is, how it may look in the field of social work, and how we personally deal with it. But first, Professor Ruiz tells us all about stipend opportunities at San Jose State University! Episode Markers: 0:00-39:00: Information about stipends at SJSU (ft. Professor Ruiz) 39:00-40:00: SWGS...

In this third episode of Season 2, we talk about some green and red flags of organizations, support within the field, and professional boundaries. We are joined by Jen, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who shares her honest thoughts about what to look for within an organization. Then, we are joined by podcast hosts Tanvi and Jess who share some reflections of what drew them to social work...

On this second episode of Season 2, we talk about what its really like to be in grad school, more specifically in the MSW Program at SJSU. We are joined by Julie Black and Maddy Western who share about their honest experiences in grad school so far. Then, we are later joined by former Podcast hosts Eric and Pancho who share about their reflection of the SJSU MSW Program. We are excited to have you...

We are excited to announce our start to Season 2 of "The Social Work Experience". On the first episode, previous hosts Pancho and Eric (SJSU MSW Alum) introduce the new hosts Tanvi and Jess (SJSU MSW Students) and give a breakdown of their experiences and hopes for the new season. We are once again joined by Dr. Peter Allen Lee, Director of the School of Social Work at San Jose State, to...

We are excited to announce a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of this special edition, episode 4.2, of The Social Work Experience with special guest Dr. Lee (Director of the Social Work Department). In season 1, episode 4.2, co-host Francisco “Pancho” Garcia and Eric Garcia have an authentic conversation with special guest Dr. Lee. Coming to a full circle on the journey, they reflect on the 2022-202...

We are excited to announce another episode of The Social Work Experience!  In season 1, episode 4.1, co-host Francisco “Pancho” Garcia and Eric Garcia have an authentic conversation with special guests Dr. Wolf and Dr. Hayes. Together, they discuss their experiences in transitioning out of school to a career in the social work field. Their discussion highlights key points for themselves, such as “...

We are excited to announce another episode of The Social Work Experience with special guest Carlos Bejarano (SJSU MSW Alumni, 2016-2017 SWGSA President, and current NASW Region B Director) and Alexandra Ferry (MSW Student, and SWGSA NASW Student Representative). In season 1, episode 3 of The Social Work Experience, co-host Francisco “Pancho” Garcia and Eric Garcia have an authentic conversation wi...