Shaping Change: Meet Recent UND MSW Graduates

At the University of North Dakota, our Master of Social Work (MSW) graduates are already making a difference in clinics, communities, schools, and beyond. They come from different places, bring unique life experiences, and carry powerful motivations for choosing this field. What unites them is a shared commitment to social justice, mental health, advocacy, and healing. 

If you’re considering a career in social work or pursuing an MSW graduate degree, let their stories and insights show you what’s possible.

Redefining Purpose: A Journey Toward Impact 

Tasha Steffens, Plains, Montana
Tasha began with a passion for helping others and imagined a future in healthcare. But it wasn’t until she discovered social work that everything truly clicked. The flexibility and structure of UND’s online MSW program allowed her to pursue that calling while balancing the demands of family life.  With her Master of Social Work degree completed, Tasha now plans to pursue clinical licensure and specialize in mental health therapy for children and young adults. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors or other faculty members… they are all there to help you and foster the most positive learning experience for you.”

Answering the Call with Empathy, Healing, and Hope 

Carly Collings, Williston, North Dakota 
For Carly, the support of a social worker during her own childhood sparked a lifelong desire to give back. Now, with her MSW degree she’s focused on offering therapy for adolescents in her hometown. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Social work is more than just a career choice—it’s a calling to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others…. Take time to really enjoy each class, and don’t forget to appreciate the breaks you get along the way.”

A Practical Path to Whole-Person Care

Bethany Rachel Abramson, Cook, Minnesota
Bethany entered the MSW program at UND seeking the most effective way to serve others in the mental health field. After her degree, and passing her licensing exam, she is working in a rural non-profit in Minnesota. She says UND’s instructors helped her balance work, school, and family life. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Appreciate the experience and learn as much as you can. It will feel daunting at times; but it is SO worth it in the end.”

The MSW Advantage: Endless Possibilities for a Meaningful Career 

Amanda Joy, Vallejo, California
Amanda saw the Master of Social Work program at UND as a springboard for making lasting change. From community mental health to potential future work in private practice or policy, she says she is embracing the many paths earning her degree has made possible. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “The beauty of earning an MSW is the endless possibilities it offers for shaping a meaningful career.” 

Rewriting Stories, Breaking Cycles of Disadvantage 

Amber Bruer, North Dakota
Amber’s passion for trauma-informed care is driving a future in clinical practice. Her interests include supporting veterans, foster youth, and frontline workers, with plans to expand into community education, provider collaboration, and eventually teaching future social workers. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Communicate with your professors when you need a moment to breathe or extra time… The faculty are incredibly understanding and compassionate.”

Perfect Avenue for Impact

Whitley Begger, Helena, Montana
Whitley chose social work as a path to turn compassion into action. The sense of community she built as a student at UND helped shape her personally and professionally. With her MSW degree, she plans to provide neuropsychological and psychological evaluations to support families navigating a diagnosis to ensure they feel empowered and informed. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Being scared is actually bravery in disguise… it means you’re stepping outside your comfort zone and pushing yourself to grow. Lean into those moments, because they will shape you into a stronger, more resilient professional.”

An Interdisciplinary Team Shaped My Social Work Journey 

Yeva Mirzoyan, Eagan, Minnesota
Working alongside a hospital care team after her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Yeva was inspired by the social workers around her. With her MSW from UND now complete, she hopes to follow in their footsteps with a focus on hospital-based mental health assessment. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “The best thing about grad school is that you are learning about topics that actually interest you… As long as you show up, ask questions, and do the work, you will be successful!”

My Intro to Social Work Class Got Me Hooked 

Jacob Svenby, Grand Forks, North Dakota
What started as an elective in undergrad turned into a career path. Jacob has said he sees endless opportunities ahead after graduation—from school social work to other service areas where an MSW degree is valued. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Stay organized, identify a support system… your classmates may be going through the same struggles that you are.”

Seeking to Do More than Therapy 

Alysia Taylor, Fargo, North Dakota
With a passion for mental health care, Alysia entered UND’s Master of Social Work program to expand her impact beyond traditional therapy. Now working as a program specialist in a Partial Hospitalization Program, she credits the supportive faculty for helping her return to the program after personal hardship. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be open to everyone. We can all learn so much from each other.”

From Ambition to Advocacy 

Whitney Irmen, Mandan, North Dakota
Whitney’s MSW experience at UND deepened her leadership in child welfare. She embraces a strengths-based, servant leadership approach to supporting families and children in crisis, and plans to pursue a career in child welfare social work, administration, or clinical practice. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Graduate school is a marathon… not a sprint. As long as you have a really strong ‘why’ and a support system in place, you will do great!”

Carrying a Legacy of Care 

Tiara Kammers, Virginia, Minnesota
Inspired by her mother’s compassion, Tiara saw social work as a way to help others without limits. Now working in child protection, she is committed to reducing mental health stigma and supporting youth in difficult circumstances. With her MSW degree from UND, she plans to continue working with vulnerable youth in schools or juvenile correction settings. 

Advice for Future MSW Students: “Take it one day at a time – It may get overwhelming but just know you are not alone in this, and your peers will help you along the way.”

Ready to Begin Your Journey? 

These MSW graduates show the power of social work to change lives, including their own. Whether your goal is therapy, advocacy, policy, or clinical leadership, the University of North Dakota’s CSWE-accredited, online or on campus Master of Social Work program can help you get there. 

Flexible, supportive, and rooted in real-world impact—UND is where your future in social work begins. 

Learn more and apply (https://cnpd.und.edu/admissions-academics/social-work/msw.html)