The Carol LaMare Practicum Scholarship in Oncology Social Work, awarded annually to two second-year MSW students who have demonstrated a commitment to oncology, comes with an added bonus — and an added responsibility. The fund’s founder, Lynn Behar, MSW ’86, PhD ’99, feels that while financial aid is vital, it’s equally important for recipients to be mentored and supported as they tackle, in her words, “the emotionally taxing and deeply rewarding” field of oncology social work.

To that end, LaMare scholarship recipients are invited to meet personally with Behar, encouraged to actively participate in the local Oncology Social Work Network meetings, and join the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW). She also encourages them to attend the annual AOSW conference.

Recent awardee Tiffany Lordon, MSW ’07, considers Behar “a mentor who truly inspires me to be a compassionate, dedicated oncology social worker.” Lordon, who became interested in oncology when her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, found her current position in oncology social work at Stanford University as a direct result of Behar’s personal interest. Behar introduced Lordon at last year’s annual AOSW conference and announced that Lordon was moving to California and needed a job. The announcement led directly to a job offer.

“Tiffany is really great; she is just so full of passion,” Behar said. She notes that, like Lordon, most oncology social workers develop their passion for oncology based on a life-changing personal experience with cancer. 

That’s especially true of scholarship recipient Sara Puckey, MSW ’08, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1999. “After four months of chemotherapy, I was in remission,” Puckey explained. “From that moment on my volunteer work and passion have focused around oncology and people with complex, life-limiting illnesses.” Puckey did her practicum at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center’s Palliative Care Program in Kirkland.

Like Lordon, Puckey has also benefited from the mentoring that accompanies her award. “To be connected to the Association of Oncology Social Work is a great honor. In my two years of graduate school I realized, by attending the local Oncology Social Work Network, how important it is to have a support group of clinicians working in the same field. I have benefited from being able to walk into a community that holds similar clinical values and shared experiences.”

Behar’s own decades of dedication to oncology social work are also rooted in personal experience. She worked as office manager in an oncology clinic and had “many experiences” with people living with cancer. In her next job, she provided personal support to a close colleague who eventually died from cancer. Because of these experiences, she dedicated her professional life to counseling individuals and families living with cancer. The Carol LaMare scholarship was named in honor of Behar’s mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was very pleased when the scholarship was established and named. In 2005, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia and died ten months later from the leukemia and recurrent breast cancer. 

“My mom was one of those very healthy people whose love was the outdoors, books, and education,” Behar said. “When she got cancer it was a big shock because she was walking and working out daily, hiking with her women’s group weekly, and in excellent physical health. My mom taught in rural schools in Southeast Alaska. After retirement she took on a second career as a State of Alaska ‘social worker,’ licensing foster homes.”

“The reason for the scholarship is selfish,” Behar added. “I want to see exceptional social workers choose the field of oncology social work. I’m so passionate about the work that I want to inspire them with the incredible opportunities for social workers in oncology. My dream is that they really push the limits in oncology.”