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Undergraduate Student Leadership Program

Overview


The Undergraduate Student Leadership (USL) program is designed to build community between BSW students and facilitate the exchange of accurate and timely information.  Each BSW student in the program is assigned to a USL, a fellow student who has received training on leadership, communication, and information on the School of Social Work and BSW program. 
 

What do USLs do?

USLs serve as advocates and communication facilitators for BSW students, fielding questions about all of aspects of the undergraduate experience, including advising, field, registration, orientation, scholarships, deadlines, program policies, and more.  They are able to track down accurate answers to questions quickly by reaching out directly to program administrators and connecting students to services and resources.  Students who reach out to their USL with a question most often receive resolution to their presenting issue within minutes or hours of posing a question.
 

How do I contact my USL?

Your USL can be reached anytime via email or on Microsoft Teams.  Your USL will be reaching out to you every week to check in via email or Teams conference. If you are unsure of who your USL is or have not received a response to your inquiry within 24 hours, please email BSW Intern Natalie Rea (natalie.rea@mavs.uta.edu)

 

Undergraduate Student Leaders

Angela Estrada

Angela Estrada

Hello! My name is Angela Estrada. I am a senior in the BSW program and plan to continue for my LMSW degree as an advanced standing student here at UTA. After I obtain my BSW degree I plan to work with children through CPS or an adoption agency and work my way up from there as I complete my LMSW. Since the age of 14 I have always worked with children and so far, have accomplished about 350+ volunteer hours in many fields. Social work has always been my passion since the age of 12 and look forward to working with the community and children in the near future. Aside from being a full-time student I am also a mom; I work part time for my husband’s company and enjoy spending time with my family and pets. I am super excited to be part of the social work program and part of the maverick community. This is my second semester in the USL program, and I look forward to working with my constituents this semester.

Purity Mathenge

Purity Ann Mathenge

Hello, my name is Purity Ann a senior in the BSW program and a first time Undergraduate Student Leader. I plan to graduate fall of 2021 and thereafter begin the MSW program as an advanced standing student. The goal is to go into direct practice and work with children and families. Besides being a student, I am a worship leader and a youth leader in my church. I enjoy gardening, cooking, and spending time with my family. I am honored to be an Undergraduate Student Leader and I look forward to assisting my peers any way I can and working together to make the journey through the BSW program easier.

Allyson Miles

Allyson Miles

Hello, my name is Allyson. I am a BSW student, and I should be graduating in Summer 2021. It took me a few tries before I finally found my calling, and I am happy that UTA allows me to pursue my degree in social work. I plan to continue and get an MSW degree immediately after graduating. Currently, I am a crisis counselor with a suicide hotline and run a peer support group online. I am a transfer student from UTEP, and I am interested in mental health and drug rehabilitation. When I am not working on schoolwork, the hotline, or the support group, I spend my time training my dog NOX (she is a German Shepard). She was born in November of 2019 and is currently in training to be a therapy dog. I hope she can one day join me in my journey to help and support people.

Aide Ortiz

Aide Ortiz

Hello! My name is Aide (pronounced i-day) Ortiz and I am currently in my junior year of my undergraduate degree. I returned to finish my degree after an almost ten year hiatus! I was originally a business major, although through many lived experiences I was led to discover the amazing field of social work. I love everything about this field and what it stands for and I feel like I am exactly where I was always meant to be. I am excited to be an Undergraduate Student Leader this semester and look forward to assisting my peers in any way I can.

Natalie Rea

Natalie Rea

My name is Natalie Rea and I am a Senior her at UTA, I am currently completing my field placement over the summer and will graduate in August. After graduation will be starting the advanced standing accelerated MSW program here at UTA with a concentration in direct practice, specializing in Mental Health and Substance Misuse. After I graduate with my masters, I plan on obtaining my clinical license to offer mental health resources to immigrant minors and their families. Apart from being a full-time student, I am a married mother of 3. In my free time I am usually at a sporting event for one of my 3 children, or at my church where I serve as a worship leader on our worship team. I am excited to be your Undergraduate Student Leader and help my peers through the BSW program.

Ashley Schmidt

Ashley Schmidt

Hello! My name is Ashley Schmidt, I am a transfer student from Tarrant County College where I earned an AAS in Horticulture. This is my second semester at The University of Texas at Arlington and my first semester to serve as an Undergraduate Student Leader. Once I earn a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), I plan to move into the Master of Social Work (MSW) program as an advanced standing student. The two MSW specializations I am most interested in are: Community and Administrative Practice and Direct Practice in Health. Alongside being a student, I also love gardening, spending time with my family, caring for our dogs, and camping with my husband, Alex. I am excited to finally be a Maverick and I look forward to serving my fellow social work students this semester! Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have, so I may help you experience the best semester possible.

Katina Shuey

Katina Shuey

Hi, my name is Katina Shuey and I am in my second semester of working towards my BSW. I have a passion for helping others and I decided to return to college after 25 years (I received a BBA from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1994). I'm also planning to get MSW, but I'm undecided on where I want to practice. This is my first semester as an Undergraduate Student Leader and I'm honored to be working with other BSW students.

Eric Simmons

Eric Simmons

Hello, my name is Eric Simmons. This is my third year at UTA and my first semester serving as a USL. I am a military veteran with 13 years of service in the United States Air Force. My education goals are to complete BSW coursework in the Fall of 2021 and pursue an MSW with Advanced Standing. After completing the MSW program, I would like to work in a healthcare setting as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I’m excited about this opportunity to serve the UTA community, and I am looking forward to helping my peers in any way that I can.

Bailey Smith

Bailey Smith

My name is Bailey Smith, I am a Senior in the BSW program, and I am a first time Undergraduate Student Leader. I graduate Summer of 2021 and will begin in the graduate program in Fall 2021. After obtaining my MSW I would like to work as a social worker in a school setting working with children or I would like to work in a hospital setting working with children and families. I am an Instructional Paraprofessional that works with students that are in the special education program ranging from 1stgrade - 5th grade. I am very excited to be a USL and help my fellow peers anyway that I can!

Ashly Smith

Ashly Smith

Hello! My name is Ashly Smith. I am a senior in the BSW program, and I plan to graduate in the fall of 2021. After graduation I plan continue on in the MSW program to eventually become an LCSW. I would like to work in mental health with children and families in the public-school arena. Outside of attending UTA part time I also work full-time for a mental health clinic in Dallas that sees Post 9/11 veterans and their family members. Although I currently work on the administrative side of my clinic, I am fulfilled by being a part of a team that helps veterans and their family see the light at the end of the tunnel. In my spare time I love to read (HUGE Harry Potter fan), watch sports (Go Ravens) and binge watch television. I am very excited to be a USL this semester and provide support and understanding to my fellow peers.

Anna Tulloh

Anna Tulloh

Hi! My name is Anna Tulloh (Tuhluh). After earning a BS in Biology and spending 6 years in the environmental education field, I found my way back to school this summer. During that time, I started to see the impact that immersive science programs have on underprivileged children and their limited opportunity to interact with nature. I realized I wanted to do more and have a larger impact on these children’s lives, which led me to UTA’s Social Work program. My academic goals are to graduate with a BSW and a Certificate in Spanish for the Professions and then continue on to get my MSW in Community and Administrative Practice. I am currently interning with Big Brothers Big Sisters and hope to one day start a similar program with a focus on outdoor immersion and learning. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into the social work program and using my experience to help other students achieve success!

Elisia Vargas

Elisia Vargas

Hello! My name is Elisia Vargas, but most people call me Elli. I am a 22 year old full-time student, worker, and wife. This is my first semester in the USL program, and my second semester at UTA. I plan to continue my education in social work all the way to a DSW or PhD. Until then, I want to work within the state prison systems to create effective rehabilitation programs to reduce incarceration rates and reduce the risk of incarceration for at-risk youths. Hopefully creating programs that are effective can lead me to opportunities and experience abroad.

Contact Us

Karen Magruder LCSW

Director of Undergraduate Programs
karen.magruder@uta.edu

Allison Tomlinson

Assistant Professor of Practice 
allison.tomlinson@uta.edu

Natalie Rea 

USL Intern
natalie.rea@mavs.uta.edu

Ashly Smith 

USL Intern
ashly.smith@mavs.uta.edu