Two University of Toledo students have won awards from the regional chapter of the National Organization of Social Workers (NASW).
The NASW is a professional organization for social workers with state and regional chapters. The University of Toledo is in Region I, which is comprised of 17 counties.
There are two social work student of the year awards given annually, one for bachelor’s in social work students and one for master’s in social work students.
The award winners are selected from nominations received by Region 1 and are based on both academic performance and social justice leadership in bachelor’s or master’s programs. All Ohio region winners are then reviewed for selection of the state winners.
Nick Menke won the NASW Ohio Chapter Region 1 award for a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree. He is an assessments casework intern at Lucas County Children Services.
According to his nominators, Menke is an excellent student and provides high ethical standards in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics.
He took on a key role for the fair trade handcraft sale, for which he and the Student Social Work Organization partnered with Dandora Women’s Forum and sold their handcrafts in various venues throughout the holidays while providing education about economic justice and fair trade. In addition, he was engaged in local service projects such as food drives, toy drives and volunteer work with area children.
Lisa Fedina won the NASW Ohio Chapter Region 1 award for a student pursuing a master’s degree.
She is interning with Second Chance and is dedicated to promoting social and economic justice.
Fedina is dedicated to helping the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed, according to her nominators.
She also is passionate about advocating for victims of sex trafficking and prostitution. Fedina is the lead author of “Human Trafficking: A Resource Guide for Service Providers in Ohio.”
Menke and Fedina will be honored at the NASW state conference this fall.
