Social Work Students Take Lead in Advocating for Change at UTEP

Published April 19, 2024
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences

Angelica Hinojos and Carla “Dani” Corbett, junior Social Work majors, are no strangers to advocacy. In fact, both were drawn to the field of social work by their strong sense of social justice and pull to serve their communities, something they felt at distinctly different stages of their lives.

“I was a foster kid, and it wasn’t until I was adopted at 16 that I realized I could do something more with my life, and I realized that the people who had been there for me the most were social workers,” said Hinojos. “That empowered me and made me realize that because I had been in the system my whole life, I had the power to change things.”

Corbett experienced bouts of homelessness following her service in the Army, and was inspired by the tireless efforts of social workers in the Veterans Administration to connect her to social service programs in the community. Prior to her military appointment, Corbett says she had started a nursing degree at El Paso Community College, but the experiences with the VA social workers cemented her decision to change her career path.

Hinojos mentioned that a policy course she took earlier this year opened her eyes to the importance of advocacy, as well as the potential impact of her involvement in efforts at UTEP, in the community, and at the state level.

“I realized that as social workers, we bring a different perspective, so I was inspired to run for a BSW student representative position, as well as a position in the UTEP Student Government Association (SGA) and Texas Rising,” she said. “I realized that I have the power to go to Austin and advocate, and I believe in the power of numbers.”

In her first advocacy effort at UTEP, Hinojos created a petition on behalf of her BSW cohort to change their scheduling. She gathered signatures and then arranged a meeting with the SGA. Following the presentation of her petition at a Town Hall meeting, SGA recruited her for the position of legislative assistant. As a legislative assistant, she participates in other committees at UTEP and helps SGA with critical connections to community resources to address issues at UTEP, including student welfare.

Corbett also drew upon knowledge she gained from the same policy course in order to organize efforts around establishing a Payment for Placement chapter at UTEP. Payment for Placement is a national initiative with 56 chapters which advocates for paid internships for students, most often through grant funding or legislative appropriations. With UTEP’s large population of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, the chapter’s work will be critical in helping to alleviate the burden that many face while trying to complete their degree requirements and simultaneously meet their financial obligations.

While the UTEP Payment for Placement chaper is in the initial stages of development, Corbett says that she was able to include it on the agenda for Social Work Advocacy Day, held last month in Austin. Hinojos is providing support, designing college-wide surveys for distribution in the near future. Once the chapter is established, Corbett plans to join forces with UT Austin and UT Houston to approach legislators with a proposal to support the initiative, beginning with social work programs and expanding into other fields as the program develops.

“We’re talking about unpaid student labor, oftentimes requiring students to go into debt to support themselves or even stop the program temporarily, and that really set me off,” she said. “Advocacy is challenging, and it’s a long game, but it’s also energizing, knowing that you’re part of the change.”

Following graduation, both Hinojos and Corbett plan to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work and continue their advocacy work in the community. Hinojos is an active member of Texas Rising, a network of young El Pasoans pushing for social justice and attending rallies in the community for various causes. She says her personal passion points include foster children and immigration. Corbett hopes to work with veterans, homeless individuals, and individuals with substance use disorder. She is a member of the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Expression) Committee of the National Association of Social Workers and will be working to help identify resources for the LGBTQI population.

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Go Miners!

For more information about the Department of Social Work, visit: https://utep.edu/chs/sw/