By Amanda Alaniz

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – NOV. 07, 2025 – A social work graduate student at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has made history as the first recipient of the prestigious 2025 Stacie McGee Student Scholar Award.

Laura Aguilera, a UTRGV Master of Social Work student, was one of three honorees in the state to receive the annual award, given by the National Association of Social Workers, Texas Chapter.

The award, which recognizes academic excellence in social work education across Texas, is named after Stacie McGee, Licensed Master Social Worker-Independent Practice Recognition (LMSW-IPR), who has been a member and leader at the Texas Chapter for 30 years.

Winners are chosen from a pool of associate/bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. students across Texas who must meet the following requirements: 

• Submit a five-page writing sample created for a course.
• Send the original full-length version of the work.
• Be currently enrolled or have graduated in Spring/Summer 2025.

Awardees received a $300 cash prize and the opportunity to present a video summary of their work at the NASW-TX Virtual State Conference, which took place early October.

Aguilera said winning the award served as validation for her that she is succeeding in her chosen field of social work.

“It was very rewarding. As I presented to the chair of the scholarship, she ended the session and said to me, ‘You have me crying over here. This is what we need from this upcoming generation of social workers – people rooted in passion,’” Aguilera recalled.

“Hearing that solidified things for me, that … every level of social work is important,” she said.

Aguilera, from Sullivan City, is currently a school social worker at La Joya ISD’s College and Career Center. Personal experience influenced her choice of social work as a career, growing up with her own challenges as a teen mom and attending an alternative campus in the La Joya school district.

A case manager supported her during her teenage years, she said, inspiring her to pursue the helping professions. She earned her associate degree, then a bachelor’s degree in social work from UTRGV.

She saw first-hand the gaps in services and education while working with the school district as a migrant recruiter and went on to become a social worker for the school district.

CHALLENGING INEQUITIES

For the student scholar award and presentation, Aguilera submitted a reflection paper from a policy course about her work on the La Joya ISD Superintendent’s Advisory Committee.

Because of her advocacy work, she had been recruited by the school district to serve on the Superintendent’s Educator Advisory Committee. So, she shared her experiences there, and her ideas for change, and focused on how important it is to listen to and work for the students. 

She recalls students voicing their gratitude to her because they felt heard.

“Social workers are necessary anywhere. Social workers are largely undervalued, and there are large misconceptions that we are just rooted in social services,” she said.

“But it’s so much bigger than that. We can provide therapeutic services. We can look at systems. We’re able to evaluate and determine inequities. And we can challenge those inequities to create more feasible systems for the populations we work with,” she said.

As she continues her studies and works toward her social work license, she encourages students and professionals to speak out, to become their own advocates for raising awareness.

Aguilera said she would like to see more understanding in the Rio Grande Valley for what social workers do and for what they can influence and change in the area.

“Never be afraid to speak out or to speak up for what’s right, even if you don’t have the biggest title in the room,” she said. 

To learn more about UTRGV’s School of Social Work, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/socialwork/.