Wayne State M.S.W. student wins Michigan scholarship competition for her commitment to
disadvantaged Detroit residents

A Wayne State Master of Social Work student won a statewide competition to receive the Michigan League for Public Policy's Beck Scholarship, which is given annually to one M.S.W. student who plans to use his or her social work degree to improve the lives of low-income people in Michigan.

Carly Brin, who will begin graduate courses in the fall, won the $1,000 award on the strength of an essay outlining her plans to use her advanced degree and experience in political organizing and community outreach. Brin plans to promote policies, government regulations, and procedures "that ensure families enjoy easier access to the assistance they need".

"I believe that a system that does not allow everyone equal opportunity to access services needs to be fixed - and this is especially true in Detroit, where bankruptcy, cuts to social services, and severely low staffing have made the process especially treacherous when reaching out for any type of assistance," said Brin, who received an undergraduate degree in international relations. "I want to be someone that can help families get the support they need for their children, for the care of their elderly family members, and to change the policies that act as barriers to deny access."

Brin's policy experience includes work at Service Employees International Union in Washington, DC, where she contributed to advocacy and leadership development for working families, volunteers and union members. Her role included lobbying on Capitol Hill for women's rights, immigration reform, and healthcare reform.

Brin now works as an intern in the School of Social Work's Transition to Independence Program, which supports students aging out of foster care. Brin is also employed part-time at Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies on the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, which offers remediation assistance to low-income families and property owners whose homes contain lead, asbestos, mold and other environmental health hazards. Through the initiative, community organizations, government organizations and nonprofits test children for lead poisoning, help hire contractors to fix hazardous areas in the homes, and provide education and resources so that Detroit families can lead healthier lives.

Brin said she plans to use her M.S.W. "to further the reach and depth of programs such as the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative so that low-income families in Detroit will have a more solid support system and a concrete pathway to overcome the barriers to their success."