UNC Wilmington Master of Social Work Student Named NASW-NC 2022 Presidents’ Award Recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/31/22
Contact: Seth Maid, Director of Membership & Communication, 919-828-9650, smaid.naswnc@socialworkers.org

(RALEIGH, NC) – The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) has named Anastasia Kuz-Grady as the recipient of the 2022 NASW-NC Presidents’ Award for Master of Social Work (MSW) students for the 2021-2022 academic year. Anastasia Kuz-Grady is an outstanding graduate student in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW).

The NASW-NC Presidents’ Award recognizes Ms. Kuz-Grady’s leadership within her department and local community, her volunteer work in promoting voter education and turnout, and her commitment to community organizing and social justice.

Throughout her time in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at UNC Wilmington, Ms. Kuz-Grady has excelled at forming partnerships both within the local community as well as internationally. She helped organize the school’s first virtual international conference with a partner program in India and also collaborated with a partner program in Ireland to identify social justice projects for the future. She helped facilitate virtual continuing education events during the pandemic and provided mentoring and support to BSW students.

Angie Vandenberg, Field Education Coordinator and Lecturer at UNCW School of Social Work, describes Ms. Kuz-Grady as “one of the hardest working, humble, and most passionate students I’ve had the pleasure to work with in my ten years of teaching.” Ms. Vandenberg states that Ms. Kuz-Grady “has a heart for social work. She is a gift to our School of Social Work, our field office, and our field."

Ms. Kuz-Grady also serves as a NASW-NC Student Liaison, working to connect social work students at UNCW with their professional association. In addition to all of these roles, Ms. Kuz-Grady volunteers at Elderhaus, providing social support to older adults and worked to obtain a certificate in gerontology. She is currently working on a research project on antiracist leadership in social work.

Ms. Kuz-Grady will be honored at the 2022 NASW-NC Virtual Ethics Conference and Awards Celebration on Friday, March 18, 2022.

The National Association of Social Workers North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC) is a membership organization that promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW-NC also seeks to enhance the effective functioning and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities through its work and advocacy.