Meet Tanae: 2017 Scholarship Recipient and Champion for Disadvantaged Teens

spring-2017-social-work-scholarship-winnerAt Social Work Degree Guide, we're honored to congratulate Tanae Cherron Nious for winning the first $2000 Social Work Scholarship of 2017. As a graduate of Judson High School in Converse, Texas, Tanae is currently finishing an Associate of Arts in Psychology at Northeast Lakeview College within the Alamo Community College District. She will transfer into the CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work program at Texas Woman's University this Fall. Tanae also expressed her intent to attend graduate school and become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) to lessen injustices for underprivileged teens through macro-level social action.

Tanae Nious impressed our scholarship committee by achieving great grades while keeping her plate filled with service-oriented extracurricular activities. She's maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.47 and has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Since August 2016, she's served as Membership Chair to recruit and retain new inductees for her PTK Chapter. She participated in a two-semester Student Leadership Institute and was invited to Washington, DC in July to facilitate her professional development. Tanae serves as the Vice President of the Civic Leadership Club for projects like the Seton Homes Community Clean Up. She's been named a Semmes Success Foundation Scholar and NCA All-American Cheerleader, too.

Giving Hope and Resources to Children of Incarcerated Parents

Growing up in the inner-city, Tanae found her vocational calling to address biopsychosocial problems by watching neighbors and friends struggle with poverty, abuse, addiction, and mental illness. She's proudly become a first-generation college student after being forced into foster care due to her parents' incarceration and homelessness. Now, Tanae strives to conduct research on child development to find solutions that will benefit youth faced with a similar scenario. Tanae is also devoted to starting an after-school mentorship program to empower young, disadvantaged girls in under-served communities. She's already building her coaching skills as a Success Networking Team Facilitator for the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).

According to Tanae's sociology professor, Dr. Brittany Anne Chozinski, she "continuously demonstrates ability, determination, and drive" for the social work profession through service. Starting in 2014, she volunteered as a Sunday School Teacher at Antioch Church to strengthen childrens' spiritual well-being. With the Northeast Lakeview Psychology Club, she's conducted service learning at San Antonio State Hospital, San Antonio Children's Shelter, and San Antonio Food Bank. Tanae is currently volunteering at Any Baby Can San Antonio to supervise children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as their parents undergo specialized training. She has undertaken these altruistic efforts while working at Dunkin' Donuts or her Work-Study job to finance her education.

The Social Work Degree Guide team believes Tanae Cherron Nious is the ideal recipient for the Spring 2017 scholarship. It's our delight to reward a young woman of such tenacity, compassion, and leadership who has overcome adversity for success. We applaud her giving spirit to support children feeling lost or abandoned after their parents' imprisonment. We're pleased that the scholarship money will assist Tanae in transferring to Texas Woman's University after studying abroad in France this summer. We wish her the brightest future removing barriers for minority and disadvantaged adolescents to reach their fullest potential. Congratulations, Tanae!

Share Tanae's Passion for Aiding the Marginalized? Apply Next Time!

We encourage more BSW and MSW majors to tell their story of selflessly working to improve the well-being of society's most vulnerable populations. Applying for the next SWDG Social Work Scholarship could provide you with $2,000 extra in financial aid. Our next application cycle will run from November 1st to November 15th, so mark your calendar. Applications are accepted from any U.S. citizens studying social work full- or part-time with a minimum "B" average to resolve real-world human issues. Please review all of the scholarship requirements listed here.