The Hogg Foundation has awarded scholarships to 14 bilingual students seeking a master’s degree in social work. With this innovative scholarship program, the foundation seeks to increase the cultural and linguistic diversity in the Texas mental health workforce.
Studies show that language differences present a formidable barrier to effective service delivery. Even when language barriers are overcome, subtle nuances of world view, cultural beliefs, religion, family traditions and cultural norms can sometimes interfere with delivering effective treatment.
As a condition of their scholarships, these MSW students have committed to working in Texas after graduation providing mental health services for a period equal to the timeframe of the scholarship. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition and fees. The scholarships are available at all 12 Texas graduate schools of social work that are accredited or pending accreditation by the national Council on Social Work Education.
The 2013 bilingual scholarship recipients are:
- Baylor University: Jacqueline Rosas
- Our Lady of the Lake University: Aide Abigail Felix; Leticia Silva
- Stephen F. Austin State University: Leslie Linares; Elizabeth Lopez; Jennifer Salaises; Jenifer Santos
- Texas A&M University-Commerce: Tabita Gonzalez
- The University of Texas at El Paso: Leticia Castillo; Graciela Rodriguez
- The University of Texas-Pan American: Vanessa Garcia; Claudia Teer
- The University of Texas at San Antonio: Agustin Aragon; Nayda Trudell
The bilingual scholarship program was launched in 2008 and has awarded a total of 123 scholarships since its inception.