Celebrating the Classes of 2020 and 2021
Welcome Back! We Were Thrilled to Celebrate with You In Person!
Our Classes of 2020 and 2021 are truly special. When COVID-19 forced all instruction online, our graduates met the challenge of completing their rigorous coursework and Field learning with creativity and grace. Moreover, many of them found ways to serve those most affected by the pandemic.
The ongoing pandemic caused our in-person Convocation ceremonies to be postponed in May 2020 and 2021. Finally, with the pandemic easing in May 2022, we gathered as a larger community of Silver students, faculty, colleagues, family and friends to celebrate our remarkable, reslient classes of 2020 and 2021.
- Supportive
- Creative
- Determined
- Collaborative
- Empathetic
- Advocates
- Change Agents
- Social Workers!
Our 2020 Graduates
Class of 2020, our pride in you could not be more real. The pandemic in no way diminishes your spectacular achievements.
Our 2021 Graduates
Class of 2021: You are an amazingly generous and giving class. We enthusiastically celebrate and embrace all 568 of you!
Access the Class of 2020 and 2021 Convocation Ceremony
Held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at the United Palace in Washington Heights
Class of 2020 and 2021 Graduate Reflections
Elisha Mudly, LMSW is an Actor, Musician and Psychotherapist from South Africa. She graduated from NYU Silver in 2021 with a Masters in Social Work, before which she graduated from Rhodes University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Drama.
Malcolm Variano is a 2021 graduate of the Silver BS in Social Work program, with a minor in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies. He stayed in New York after graduation, residing with his partner on the Upper West Side, and is currently pursuing a career in education.
Rachel De Leon, LMSW is currently a psychotherapist at a private practice that centers the lived experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ populations. She is passionate about empowering Black and Brown people both/and, folks identifying within the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
Class of 2020 Tribute Video
On May 19, 2020, the date on which our 2020 Convocation ceremony was originally scheduled, hundreds of graduates gathered on Zoom to “toast” friends and fellow classmates and screen a tribute video featuring memories, sage advice, and a song from faculty, staff, and members of the graduating class.
Class of 2021 Tribute Video
Before our live, virtual graduation ceremony on May 19, 2021, we screened a tribute video celebrating the Class of 2021, featuring reflections and congratulatory messages from graduates and faculty members.
Moments from our Virtual Celebrations
Remembering a Leader We’ve Lost
Class of 2020 Student Leadership Council member and NYU Silver Champion Admission Ambassador Morgan Leon died on February 22, 2022 at the age of 25. At the time, she was a Clinical Court Liaison at the non-profit Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES), whose mission is to increase public safety through innovative services that reduce crime and incarceration, improve behavioral health, promote recovery and rehabilitation, and create opportunities for success in the community. We remember Morgan for her commitment to the NYU Silver community and the values of the social work profession.
NYU Silver Embraces the Core Values of the Social Work Profession
These core values, enumerated in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:
• Service
• Social justice
• Dignity and worth of the person
• Importance of human relationships
• Integrity
• Competence
This constellation of core values reflects what is unique to the social work profession.
This is a significant moment in our lives. It demonstrates our resilience, perseverance, strength, and adaptability.
Stay Connected with the Silver Community!
2020 and 2021 NYU Silver Grads: You are among the more than 20,000 alumni elevating lives around the world and addressing the concerns of those who are most vulnerable. We encourage you to stay connected with one another as well the faculty and staff who supported and mentored you during your Silver experience. Remain connected and engaged with the Silver community by participating in alumni panels and social events; attending our contining education programs; nurturing current students as a field instructor; and following @NYUSilver on social media, among many other ways!
