It is not every day that coworkers walk across the stage to receive their diplomas together, but that is what happened Saturday. A group that works at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) earned their master’s degrees in social work from the University of Connecticut.
Now they hope it will help advance their work with Connecticut families.
Graduation day was filled with cheers, flowers, photos and celebration.
“It just taught me that all of us sisters are really resilient,” Amber Hayes, UConn MSW graduate and DCF employee, said.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The five women are not just classmates, but also colleagues at DCF.
“We know it's a blessing and a wonderful opportunity, and just grateful that we were together here. Having this moment together,” Yvette O’Brien, UConn MSW graduate and DCF employee, said.
It is a day they have been anticipating for more than two years. The group started the program during the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Local
“Everything was different, getting used to virtual reality, and then moving forward into coming to in-person classes with masks. And finally, we're here,” Emily Barker, UConn MSW graduate and DCF employee, said.
On top of that, each student also managed a juggling act.
“Working full time, internship, homework,” Stacy Carrillo, UConn MSW graduate and DCF employee, said.
Some, like Carrillo, are also moms.
“I also have a son, who has special needs,” she said. “I really wanted to show him as a single mom that as long as you work hard, and you sacrifice, and you stay focused on your goals, that you can really achieve anything.”
For Michele Kaczmarek, the diploma represents a lifelong dream.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 31. So that put my goal of obtaining my MSW on hold,” Kaczmarek said.
It’s a goal that she revisited after being cancer-free for two decades now.
“I think it puts everything in perspective in life,” Kaczmarek said. “I'm relieved, I'm excited. I'm happy. I'm thrilled that the cohort and I are graduating together.”
The week before graduating, the women opened gifts together. One item was a framed photo of the group, with a saying: “When women support each other and create a sisterhood watch incredible things happen.”
Facing challenges together is why the women now call themselves a sisterhood.
“When I say they’ve become sisters, they really truly have become sisters because they're there to lean on for advice. They really supported me in the hard times,” Carrillo said.
After uplifting each other and bolstering their careers, they are now ready to raise up Connecticut women.
“Every day has prepared you for this moment. Graduates, social workers, let's go!” DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes said, encouraging the grads with a keynote speech.
She also took a private moment after the ceremony to cheer on the cohort.
“I’m so excited,” Dorantes said. “They’ve already been doing the work. This just solidifies the advanced standing that they have not only within the department, but within our communities.”
The graduates have already been working with DCF from anywhere from five to 26 years. Now armed with degrees, they are ready to work.
“Whatever I choose to do, I will definitely be helping people,” Hayes said.
They are hoping to use a new skill set to help kids and families across Connecticut.
“There’s just so many things that we can do within the agency. With our degree,” O’Brien said. “There’s clinical work we can do. We can continue the work that we’re doing. But more importantly, we’re at the table to make decisions about policy and change. It’s just exciting.”
