The Social Work Graduation Celebration is an annual event held on campus at the UW in Seattle.  It’s a grand event – most graduates wear regalia, awards are presented, a prominent keynote address is shared, and each graduate is individually presented to the audience as a recipient of a UW social work degree (BASW, MSW, or PhD). Graduates from all SSW programs are honored. This is a smaller, more personal and very popular event in which the majority of our graduates participate.  Learn more about the event on your canvas page.

• The School of Social Work Graduation Celebration 2025 will be held on Thursday, June 12th, 2025 at 7pm at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on campus.
• Eligible students include those who graduated in Autumn 2024 or Winter 2025, Spring 2025, or projected to graduate in Summer 2025.  
• Students will have to arrive an hour prior to the event.  More details will be provided closer to the celebration.
• Tickets are not required for guests to attend. 
• Make sure to read the Graduation Celebration FAQs below for details on the event, regalia, and other logistics, but here are a few highlights:
  • Thoroughly read all email communication you receive regarding the SSW Graduation Celebration event, including “day of” information that will be shared just before the event.  If you feel you’ve missed a communication, we will be linking the announcements below so they are easy to find. Students who graduated in Autumn or Winter will be sent all of the same communications.
  • We will ask in our RSVP how you’d like your first and last name to appear in our SSW graduation program.  If we don’t hear from you, we will use your preferred first name and legal last name as it is noted in our SSW Database (what appears on your practicum evals, etc.)
  • Wearing regalia (cap, gown, hood) is optional for those participating in the Graduation Celebration. The School of Social Work has a limited number of caps and gowns available to borrow on a first come-first served basis. You may request to borrow in the Graduation RSVP survey. Students who would like to purchase regalia should order through the UW Commencement website: http://www.washington.edu/graduationLinks to an external site. 

MSW students, are you considering conducting a thesis as part of your MSW program? Whether you’re just exploring the idea or already planning your project, we invite you to join us for an MSW Thesis Info Session to learn more about the process and how to get started.

This session is open to all current and prospective MSW students interested in the thesis option. Bring your questions, ideas, and curiosity—we look forward to seeing you there! 

For questions, please contact: Nyla Hernandez (mthernan@uw.edu)

MSW students, consider your Out of Dept Autumn 2025 registration to the upcoming Seminar, Indigenous Allyship in Education: Learning and Policy Pathways (EDPSY 581B/509A). This course is focused on how non-Indigenous people can learn to support Indigenous rights and sovereignty through education – with significant attention paid to the current societal context.

Read more about the seminar in the Autumn Time Schedule and register.

** Revised as of 6/4 to correct the attached link.

The Housing Development Consortium (HDC) is currently seeking applicants of color for the 2025-2026 cycle of our Housing Development Internship Program (HDIP). This is a 9-month paid internship designed to recruit, train, and retain racially and socio-economically diverse students who may not otherwise know about or have access to opportunities in the affordable housing sector.

Learn more and apply by 6/20/2025. Priority deadline is 6/1/2025.

All graduation celebrations are student led and supported by staff, faculty, and campus partners. The Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center invite you to join and celebrate the Class of 2025. These graduation celebration events are open to all UW students and recognize the success of students and their families, as well as celebrate their multi-identity and multicultural heritage. Learn more at the Community Graduation Celebrations webpage.

• Undocu Graduation Celebration on 5/23/2025 
• Filipino Graduation Celebration on 6/9/2025 
• Latine Graduation Celebration on 6/12/2025 
• Lavender Graduation Celebration on 6/10/2025 
• Pasifik Graduation Celebration on 6/12/2025 
• Black Graduation Celebration 6/8/2025 

The SSW BIPOC Affinity Group invites you to our upcoming celebration of SSW grads! Join us on June 10^th from 11am -1pm at the SSW Room 305. Please RSVP by June 5^th! 

There will be a short, informal program honoring our graduates.  Light refreshments provided and some fun materials for those who want to do a little cap decorating (bring your own materials if you’ve got something started already!).

About us: This affinity group holds space to amplify the experience of SSW students, staff, and faculty who self-identify as BIPOC, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Brown, Asian & Pacific Islander, Mixed & Multiracial folks. This is an informal, student-centered group, voluntarily supported by staff and faculty at the School of Social Work. Affinity groups at UW SSW are generally aimed at community building and fostering connection, these groups are open to all SSW students.

The Buerk Center’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program (WE Lead) promotes the advancement of women as entrepreneurs, leaders, investors, and agents of innovation. WE Lead welcomes students of any gender, and features programming and events that center the experiences of women in entrepreneurship and leadership settings. Graduate and undergraduate students from any degree-seeking program and academic discipline are welcome. WE Lead is currently seeking applicants interested in a leadership role on the WE Lead Student Board – the application is now open (deadline: 5/30).

Roles on the Student Board are ideal for students wishing to invest their time and leadership skills in a significant capacity. These students will be part of shaping programming for the Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program (WE Lead), and will have opportunities to develop skills, connect with creative and innovative leaders on and off campus, and provide feedback, advice, and support for this co-curricular program.

Interested students can learn more by reading the Student Board Overview and Job Descriptions, and are encouraged to join us for the final info session on 5/28. We also encourage interested students to attend an upcoming event to learn more about WE Lead. A list of upcoming events can be found below.

Key Dates – WE Lead Student Board Recruitment:

Upcoming WE Lead Events:

Students, this end of year social is an opportunity for UW first-generation graduate students to connect with one another, recognize their milestones, and enjoy free food and refreshments!

The event is hosted by The Graduate School’s office of Graduate Student Affairs. Our programing is open to all UW graduate students who share the goal of promoting a supportive environment for everyone. Send questions to uwgsa@uw.edu.

All UW international graduate students are invited to join this event to celebrate accomplishments and graduation with peers. Featured speakers—university leaders and current international graduate students—will share about their experiences in higher education and how their unique journeys led them to where they are today. Whether or not you are graduating in the coming years, come and join our celebration!

MSW students- Join us for a dialogue and career guidance from SSW alumni who have experience in micro, mezzo, and macro social work job opportunities, pathways to different positions, self-care and work-life balance strategies, salary negotiation, and more!

• Tuesday, May 13th 2025 from 6:30-7:30pm
• RSVP and access Zoom link

Learn more about other your other SSW Career Series on your canvas page: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1387757/pages/2025-spring-ssw-career-series

MSW students- are you looking for a job or an internship? Many of our SSW partner agencies want to recruit and hire you! See below for details, zoom link, and visiting agencies.

Come learn more about exciting opportunities at a range of organizations and hear from hiring managers and agency representatives about how to apply successfully. Stay tuned for more details about visiting agencies. Interested in learning how to prepare for a virtual career fair? See: https://careers.uw.edu/virtual-career-fairs/ 

Below is the list for visiting agencies.

Fairfax Behavioral Health
Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care
Federal Public Defender, Western District of Washington
Seattle Indian Health Board
Lynndale Elementary @ Edmonds School District
SOUND Behavioral Health
Touchpoint Counseling
Kitsap Homes of Compassion
Northwest Kidney Center
Harborview Medical Center’s Care Management and Social Work Department
EvergreenHealth
Behavioral Health Resources
Asian Counseling and Referral Services
Institute on Human Development and Disability
Low Income Housing Institute

SSW students-

Come connect and decompress with your community! The Office of Student Services invites you to the MSW Open House on Friday, May 30th from 11:30-1:30PM at the SSW Gallery. There will be food, raffle prizes, and tons of resources and networking. We highly encourage you to RSVP by May 19th.

Meet and learn about units that provide support and resources as you progress through your MSW degree. Learn about current student groups (or learn how to start/join one), and services that help shape your graduate experience. We hope to be in community with you!

 RSVP: MSW Open House RSVP Form. For access needs and accommodation requests, please contact your Student Services at sswstdnt@uw.edu.

DAY 1 and incoming Advanced Standing students, consider an application to the CSWE Minority Fellowship program.

CSWE’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) opportunities support the mission of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to reduce the effects of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities by increasing the number of individuals trained to work with underrepresented and underserved racial/ethnic minority persons with or at risk for mental health and/or substance abuse disorders.

Applications will be accepted until Monday, May 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM (ET). To assist you with the application process, the MFP Team has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document, Application Guidebook and informative video detailing program goals and offerings. Funding will be made available

The Banyan Scholarship for Clinical Education and Healthcare Professions offers $1,000 worth of grant to support working students in healthcare fields. This scholarship is open to students pursuing careers in healthcare, including medical, mental health, addiction treatment, clinical, and social work professions.

Link to the application and eligibility details: https://www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/resources/student-scholarship/

The application deadline is June 25, 2025.

MSW students, consider an application to this scholarship. All undergraduate and graduate students at UW Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma are eligible to apply. More information can be found here: https://new.expo.uw.edu/expo/scholarships/mortar

To be considered, an applicant must be an enrolled student at the University of Washington during the 2024-2025 academic year. The applicant also must be a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student at the University of Washington in 2025-26. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher. These scholarships range between $2,000 and $3,000.

A completed application must be submitted as a combined, single PDF with all elements below except the letter of recommendation. It must be typed and formatted according to APA guidelines. Along with the application form, please include:

• Cover letter about yourself, academic/life goals, and how scholarship funds would be used. (1 page maximum)
• Current resume (1 page maximum)
• Scholarship, Leadership, Service: Up to 2 pages demonstrating your qualifications for this scholarship using each category as a sub-heading. Please include relevant post high school experiences, both on and off campus, including dates and frequency of activity.
• Transcripts: must include Unofficial UW Transcript and prior college transcripts.
• One letter of recommendation (1 page maximum), sent directly from your recommender as a separate PDF to toloscholars@gmail.com, on or before the deadline.

To apply, completed applications (and letter of recommendation) must be submitted to toloscholars@gmail.com by the deadline of June 30th.