Meet the Winner and Runners-up of the
2023 Laurel House Social Work Racial Equity Scholarship
Laurel House, Inc., and Resources to Recover, a free service of LH, are proud to announce the 2023 Social Work Racial Equity Scholarship winner and runners-up. The goals of the Scholarship are to cultivate more Black and Latino social workers committed to social change and to increase access to mental health care treatment by communities of color. This is the second year the Scholarship has been offered.
Daniella Brown
Winner of the $10,000 Social Work Racial Equity Scholarship for school tuition and expenses
Daniella is an advanced placement student in the Master of Social Work program at Quinnipiac University. Daniella lives in New Britain, CT. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Social Work degree from UCONN and has an extensive volunteer background working in her community for organizations such as Foodshare alongside her mother, a first-generation immigrant. Daniella Brown epitomizes the values and spirit of the Laurel House Social Work Racial Equity Scholarship. As a social worker, she aims to “help others build healthy relationships and to bring about positive changes in their lives.” Upon obtaining her MSW, she intends to pursue policy practice “to promote policies and practices that foster equality for all people, demonstrating respect for social and cultural diversity.”
Natasha Holley
First Runner-up and winner of a $1,000 cash award for school expenses
Natasha is a single mother of two who is about to start the Master of Social Work program at Quinnipiac University. She lives in Middletown, CT, and works in a nursing home in nearby Meriden. She would also like to work in a correctional facility, tending to individuals’ mental health to help reduce recidivism. Her long-term career goal is to obtain her license in clinical social work so she can open her own therapy practice in a lower-income community in an urban area. As a future social worker, Natasha believes that “providing access to a safe place where people of color can come for mental health treatment will help with quality of life. Being able to provide care without judgment and with a personal first-hand understanding will help in successful outreach to underserved communities.”
Thayrone Veloso
Second Runner-up and winner of a $500 cash award for school expenses
Thayrone is a first-generation immigrant who lives with his family in Bridgeport while attending the Master of Social Work program at Quinnipiac University. As a member of the LGBTQI plus community, he wants to be “an advocate for everyone living their most authentic self. I see myself working to dismantle the systematic oppression and injustice that continues to target transgender and nonconforming individuals with the right to live their truth.” Thayrone is also a poet and intends to put his writing skills to use after he graduates, advocating for his community in op-ed pieces and online forums. His long-term career goal is to work as a clinician at a mental health clinic.
Scholarship winner Daniella Brown (3rd from left) and First Runner-up Natasha Holley (2nd from left), with Jay Boll, Vice President of Laurel House, Inc., and Laurel House Diversity Outreach Resource Specialist Danielle Leblanc.
Please join us in congratulating the winner of this year’s Social Work Racial Equity Scholarship and two runners-up. We commend you for your present and future contributions to the field of social work and the communities you serve!
