Awards
The Alumni Excellence Award recognizes alumni who have made exceptional contributions to social work through a distinguished career in their field of practice and who personify the principles and values of the profession.
- The Emerging Leader Award recognizes recent alumni who are already making exceptional contributions to social work and who personify the principles and values of the profession.
- Recipients must have earned a degree from the College of Social Work within the last 10 years.
The Military Service Award recognizes alumni who are/were military affiliated and continue to serve others through their commitment to the social work profession.
Change Maker Award recognizes individuals (alumnae or non-alumnae) who demonstrate excellence in service, leadership, advocacy and professional accomplishment. Awardees are chosen at the discretion of the dean. This award will be given in years when an appropriate individual is identified.
Award Winners - 2025
Treca DeShields, MSW
Treca DeShields, a Clinton, SC native, holds a BS in Child and Family Development from Benedict College and earned her MSW from USC in 2011 while serving as Director of Minister of Music at New Beginning Ministries International, Inc.
She founded the Save Our Youth Choir, the Future Leader Center for Development, and The Zone and Love Zone Ministry, which partners with community organizations to support children and families.
Treca is a team lead for the SC Department of Mental Health IPS/SED program and a facilitator for multiple youth and family programs. She is also an author and serves on the board of Foothill Community Health Care Clinic.
In 2022, she was recognized as a 107.3 JAMZ Black History Maker and received Greer’s MLK Samaritan’s Award for her service to the Upstate community.
Janis Hillman, MSW
Jan Hillman earned a BS in Sociology from the University of South Carolina and began her career at Bryan Psychiatric Hospital. She later returned to USC to earn her MSW, launching her social work career in a clinic supporting women experiencing high-risk pregnancies.
She went on to serve as the Director of Counseling and Education at Planned Parenthood before transitioning to school social work, where she spent 30 years with the Richmond County Board of Education.
Jan is passionate about working with children and describes being a school social worker as both stressful and unpredictable, yet incredibly rewarding.
Now retired, she lives in North Augusta, Georgia, with her husband.
Aaron S. White, MSW, LISW-CP
Aaron White is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist and Program Coordinator with the Veterans Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A native of Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, he earned his BA in Psychology from Coastal Carolina University and his MSW from the University of South Carolina in 2018, specializing in health and mental health.
Before joining the VA, Aaron worked with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, supporting families of abused and neglected children. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Circle of Life Foundation, a Charleston-based nonprofit dedicated to mentorship, education and mental health resources for underserved communities.
In addition to his clinical work, Aaron is a political campaign consultant, serves on multiple community boards, and lives in South Carolina with his wife, Shekinah, and their daughter, Ava.
Willie Cook, LMSW
Willie L. S. Cook, a U.S. Army veteran, worked in Human Relations before pursuing social work. He earned his BSW and MSW from the University of South Carolina and is now a Housing and Urban Development Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing social worker at the Dorn VA Medical Center, helping veterans experiencing homelessness secure stable, affordable housing.
Previously, Willie served as a housing manager for South Carolina’s Prisma Health. He is currently under supervision to obtain his clinical practice license, which will allow him to provide independent counseling services.
In his free time, he enjoys audiobooks, traveling, crafts and jigsaw puzzles.
Mike Dubose, MSW
Mike DuBose grew up in Darlington, South Carolina and earned degrees in psychology and an MSW from USC in 1979. He worked for several state agencies, including Social Services, Developmental Disabilities and Youth Services, and served under former gGovernor Dick Riley while directing political campaigns.
In 1986 he founded Research Associates and the Evaluation Group to create opportunities to improve lives. The two companies secured $800 million in grants for universities, nonprofits and schools, and he trained 25,000 people nationwide in grant writing and administration. As a USC College of Social Work adjunct professor, he mentored 50 graduate students with paid scholarships.
Now retired, Mike continues helping others through writing for five newspapers and various blogs.
Nomination Process
The following materials are required for a nomination to be considered:
- Nominator name and contact information
- Nominee name and contact information
- Nominee’s current vita or resume
- Endorsement statement (to include detailed information about the nominee and why they would be a deserving recipient)
Eligibility Criteria
- Recipients may not receive the same award multiple times.
- Recipients must meet the eligibility criteria of their specific award.
- Recipients must participate in the recognition event in person unless exceptional circumstances prevent such participation.
Further Guidelines
- CoSW reserves the right to name recipients for all or only a selection of the awards each year.
- Only information submitted as part of a nomination will be considered; additional independent research regarding nominees will not occur.
- Incomplete nominations will not be accepted.
- Current members of the College of Social Work Alumni Advisory Board are not eligible to receive a Distinguished Alumni award until one year after their term concludes.