Benita Washington

One of my career accomplishments that I am proud of is developing the school social work position for Fresno Unified School District. In my role as an attendance, I recognized that poor attendance was merely a symptom of a larger challenge for the families we served. With more than 80 percent of the families living in poverty, I understood that our interventions with families needed to be intentional and strength based. In an effort to address the social and emotional factors that impede student academic success, I advocated for hiring school social workers. This position has forever changed the lives of underserved communities.

EOP has contributed to my success both personally and professionally. In terms of my personal success, EOP afforded me the opportunity to attend college and transition myself and my children from receiving public assistance to being self-sufficient. EOP has also contributed to my long term commitment to serving as a mentor to students both formally and informally. In terms of my professional development, I have incorporated many of the best practices that EOP modeled into my leadership and social work practice. In my current role as assistant field coordinator, I have adopted a framework that primarily focus is providing and linking students to campus and community support services to support their personal and academic success.

“Dear YOU, may you give yourself permission to trust your voice, step into your power, and know what you’re doing matters.”- Kelly Rae Roberts.