ASWA
Association of Social Work Assistants
ASWA
Leading the Way … Service, Community, Commitment, Compassion ….
The student association for Social Work Assistant Program majors at Athens Technical College!
ASWA Calendar of
Upcoming Events

5 January– Spring
Semester Classes Begin

14 January– ATSAC
meeting, noon, H-759

19 January MLK Day of
Service

22 January– ASWA
Meeting, 1-2 pm, Rm. B2213

4 February– ATSAC
Meeting, noon, H-759

12 February– GA
Prevention Project
Speaker, noon, H-759

17 February– Advisement
Day for Summer Semester.
Come join us in the
ASWA Hospitality Room,
8:30am-5:30pm. Light
refreshments will be
served . Come learn more
about the ASWA!

26 Feb.– ASWA Blood
Drive,10am-3pm, H-759
Looking Back at 2014 and
Forward to 2015
The 2014 fall semester
really flew by quickly!
Looking back, it was a
wonderful semester for the
ASWA program at large.
We’ve had new people join
the association and we have
familiar faces that keep it
going. We worked together
to organize and hold a
successful Gobbler Run and
a wonderful Holiday
Potluck Dinner.
In a word, we are a
community. What binds us
together is our passion to
help others. We are
inspired daily by our
committed and passionate
teachers. Thank you Mrs.
Watts, Mrs. Lastie, Mrs.
Lloyd, Mrs. Case, Mrs.
Gay, and Mrs. Henry for
your encouragement and
for sharing your
knowledge.
As we look back on a
wonderful fall semester,
remember that we are a
strong community and we
will walk into 2015,
refreshed and ready for
new events and things to
do. Wishing everyone a
wonderful new year and
2015 Spring Semester!
Winter 2015
January 2015
Volume 1, Issue 1
Inside this issue:
ASWA Focus
2
Student Voice
3
Student
Achievements
4
Pictures from the 2014 Gobbler Run and Holiday Potluck
James and Will
Anette & Santa
The Gobbler Run Prize Winners
Page 2
Association of Social Work Assistants (ASWA)
ASWA Focus
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
M
artin Luther King Jr. is undoubtedly one on the most important and central leaders of the
Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Although Dr. King is remembered for his
eloquent and passionate speeches such as his famous “I Have a Dream” which he
delivered during the 1963 March on Washington, he lead a life of committed service to
being a voice for those who were deprived of equality of life in America (American Rhetoric). Dr. King’s
dream was that one day, people would be “judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character (American Rhetoric)”. He knew all too well the violence, hatred, and injustice AfricanAmericans suffered. Through peaceful protests, speeches, service and dedication, he fought for justice and
equality for all Americans. He sought to lift the heavy burden that is injustice off of the backs of AfricanAmericans.
As students of the SWA program at Athens Technical College, Dr. King serves as our role model. We
desire to serve others to make their lives better. Whether it is helping with hospice patients, the elderly, or
children who have been abused, we desire to help others. Probably most of us won’t lead protests or give
memorable speeches, but, I would like to think that we will, in our own way, be carrying out the work of
Dr. King because his greatest contributions were his relentless pursuit for life, liberty, and justice for all
and his concern and compassion for others.
Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service– January 19th
As part of the MLK holiday honoring the life of Dr. King, the ASWA will be participating in the
MLK Day of Service on January 19th. For more information about the community service projects
on this day and to register visit www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org. Don’t miss this great
opportunity to volunteer in the community!
Source: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
The student association for Social Work Assistant Program majors at Athens Technical College!
Student Voice
Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 3
Around the Community
Make your voice heard! In the
coming months, we will feature an article
in this space written by a student of the
SWA program at Athens Technical
College. As students of social work, we
each have our own passion about
populations we want to serve, current
issues, informing others of different
opportunities to serve the community, etc.
It’s important that we share with each
other in the SWA program community.
We want to hear your voice!
All articles should be relevant to the field
of social work and be respectful to others.
If you are interested, submit your article to
Mrs. Watts ([email protected]) and
to Karen Bignell
([email protected].
edu)
Deadline for the next issue : 26 January
Be a part of the ASWA
Come be a part of the Association of
Social Work Assistants here at Athens
Technical College! We are an open
community of SWA students and our
organization seeks to help out in the
community, to engage students in campus
activities, and to bring SWA students
together. Want to find out more? Come
to our next meeting on January 22nd, 1:00
p.m-2:00p.m, Rm. 2213. You can also
find out more information by visiting our
webpage located at www.athenstech.edu/
studentactivities. Click on the ASWA
link located on the left side of the page.
We look forward to meeting you!!
Did You Know?
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month. Cervical
Cancer is caused by HPV or the Human Papalloma
Virus. According the National Cervical Cancer
Coalition, it is estimated that seventy percent of women
and men will come in contact with the virus. However, it
is also estimated that eight to ninety percent of HPV
cases will eliminate themselves naturally (NCCConline.org. Women should still get regular check-ups.
Early detection is important!
For more information, check out the National Cervical
Cancer Coalition on the web at www.nccc-online.org and
a recent article by Rob Stein of NPR, http://www.npr.org/
blogs/health/2015/01/08/375619687/specialists-split-over
-hpv-tests-role-in-cancer-screening
Association of Social Work Assistants
ASWA
Leading the Way … Service, Community, Commitment, Compassion ….
ASWA
ASWA
Student Officers 2015
President: Shuntekia Byrd-Haynes
Vice-President: Annette Maynard
Treasurer: Tammy Valla
Recording Secretary: Karen Bignell
Member-at-Large: James Humphries
Athens Technical College
ATTN: Social Work Assistant Program
U.S. Hwy 29 North
Member-at-Large: Stephanie Gray
Faculty Advisors:
706-355-5143
Or find us on the web at:
www.athenstech.edu/Student DevelopmentServices/
StudentActivities
Rhonda Lastie, LCSW, Program Director, Social Work Assistant
Program
Betty Watts, LMSW, Instructor, Social Work Assistant Program
www.athenstech.edu/Student DevelopmentServices/
StudentActivities
SWA Student Achievements
Congratulations to the following students!!
Shuntekia Byrd-Haynes
Nominated by the SWA Program for the GOAL Award
Eimberly Bess
Nominated by the SWA Program for the GOAL Award
The ASWA is very proud of you!!