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Peer Power Partners (PPP) is a transformative peer mentoring program grounded in direct, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Designed for first-year and second-year MSW students, PPP aligns participants based on shared personal and professional interests, fostering supportive relationships that transcend traditional academic structures.
Hello! My name is Alec and my pronouns are he/him. I moved from DC to Oakland last year to close the gap in a long-distance relationship with my partner and get my MSW! It was a big adjustment at first, but I found friends and community and feel grounded here now :) In the future, I'm interested in being a bilingual (English/Spanish) narrative therapist, especially with high school youth; I'm getting the chance to do that for the first time this year at James Morehouse Project and love it so far! I would love to meet up for coffee, learn from each other, and navigate this crazy social work world together.
Hi friend! My name is Ali Fitch (she/her) and I am a second-year MSW candidate specializing in macro-level social work. My background has consisted of working with people experiencing incarceration, designing classes and programming around career skills, life skills, and healing. I have also had the opportunity to delve into some research projects, including a project exploring how the local housing system doesn't/support people with joint experience of incarceration and homelessness. This year I am placed at a consulting firm where I get to build upon my research and evaluation skills and learn more about different research, planning, and evaluation methods. I always appreciate the opportunity to learn and am intentional about staying open to where life takes me and what experiences feel in alignment with me. Healing and spirituality have been major parts of my own life and they have also been integral in the work I have done with others. As always, I ground my practice in social justice and strive to connect my work to the collective movement towards equity, justice, healing, and community for all. In my free time I enjoy hiking, swimming, making music, and trying out any new craft. I look forward to meeting with you and supporting you through this exciting stage in your life. Let's keep doing the important work together! Much love.
Hi!! My name is Ellen (she/they), I'm a second gen Taiwanese American, older sister, daughter, friend, & human being who really values relationships, connection, growth, and mental health of course. I'm in the dual MSW/MPH program in my third & final year! My interests have been shaped a lot by my work with the Public Health Institute and being on projects that address the mental health of AAPI children, youth, & families. I'm currently doing a macro/micro placement with Alameda County Health - Healthy Schools & Communities, where I get to help with a division-wide systems change evaluation while also doing therapy with high schoolers for the first time. It's been a really meaningful experience so far and I'm learning a lot. Outside of work, I really just enjoy spending quality time with people in my life. I find karaoke seshes very cathartic, I also love to play tennis, and I'm trying to get back into reading for fun. My favorite cafe in Berkeley is the Hidden Cafe, so we most likely will be going there at some point if you're down :). Hope to connect and learn a lot from each other and that I can be a source of support/comforting presence for you throughout the year!
Helllooo :) My name is Haley (she/her). I am originally from LA but moved to Seattle for college and lived there for 8 years total. Moved to the bay area for this Berkeley program. I live in SF with my best friend and our cat Moosh. I have had a behavioral health career and am exploring a macro practicum this year. I want a career supporting families with complex needs and transforming CA systems. Hoping to stay in the bay post-grad and continue getting to know each community and contribute to their well-being and thriving. I have been loving RuPauls Drag Race, Goodreads, pretty walks, dinner parties, and crafting (block printing, crotchet, laminator, drawing). I hope to be another sounding board for you! Offer up any tips or advice I have learned from my graduate school experience (finances, community, housing, internship search, boundaries, advocacy, debriefing, philosophy/critiques on social systems etc). Most importantly, I am looking to learn from you, form an authentic relationship, and hopefully feel cozier and connected because of it.
Hey, I'm Jean. I'm passionate about working with unhoused youth and am interested in developing a therapeutic specialty working with people who have experienced Christian religious trauma. I moved to the Bay Area two years ago to attend the program and have enjoyed getting to know the area. I enjoy crafting, houseplants, baking, and haunting coffee shops.
Hey ya'll I'm Kevy (they/them). I'm a nonbinary, queer-identifying, 2nd-gen Filipino American. I spent the bulk of my youth in the DIY punk scene of SoCal, and those experiences inform my values more than the NASW Code of Ethics ever will. I'm a second-year macro social work student but most of my background is in micro-work serving folks with intellectual & developmental disabilities. I went back to school to pursue an MSW here because I was frustrated with the callous web of inequities cooked into existing social work systems, and was hoping that grad school would somehow enlighten my worldview and help me develop a foundation for anti-oppressive social work. Being a macro-head, I ultimately want to develop skills for bottom-up systems-change and transformation. I'm a commie at heart and spiritually an anarchist. I won't spoil it all though so let's boogie.
Hi, my name’s Lauren (they/them) and I’m a second year in the MSW program. I’m originally from the Bay Area and went to college in Atlanta, GA. I worked for three years as a case manager with unhoused older adults in San Francisco before starting at Cal. In my free time I enjoy baking, hiking, watching secret lives of Mormon wives, and bothering my partner.
Hello, I am a second year MSW student currently placed at Berkeley High school. The idea of meeting with fellow MSW students as they traverse the sometimes difficult, often confusing time of a mid 20/early 30 yr old while being surrounded by people at all different stages of life, and sharing about my experience and what I have done to sustain myself is one that sounds incredibly satisfying. If I could help anyone as they go through the program, that'd be pretty cool...
Hi, my name is Sami! I'm a current second year MSW interested in serving survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence through prevention and intervention. I've held various positions in direct service, such as legal and medical advocate for survivors of SA, suicide and crisis hotline counselor, ER intake coordinator doing mental health status exams, mental health specialist in an inpatient psychiatric unit, ABA therapist, and foster care case manager. My first year internship was at Kaiser Oakland doing individual and group therapy, and my second year placement is at Futures Without Violence doing macro-level domestic violence prevention. Thanks for reading!
I am Tauheeda Anderson, a passionate advocate and community leader dedicated to empowering underserved populations, particularly Black youth and vulnerable adults. My journey began at the Hidden Genius Project, where I worked with young Black males to help them develop technology and leadership skills. Currently, I serve as a community social worker at Adult Protective Services (APS), focusing on protecting vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect. My work is rooted in empathy and a commitment to social justice, and I strive to create supportive spaces for those in BIPOC and marginalized communities.
