/news-archive/tag/lakendra-mackey/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:49:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2021/10/08/racial-barriers-meeting/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:49:51 +0000 /news/?p=80020 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Community Invited to Meet Racial Barriers Committee on Oct. 14]]> The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in Dickinson Hall Room 100 and online . The in-person meeting is open to the first 60 people . Chancellor Christina Drale will speak about the founding of the Racial Barriers Committee, and Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students and the committee鈥檚 advisor, will introduce the committee. The Racial Barriers Committee members will discuss their charge and mission, followed by a question-and-answer session and reception. The Racial Barriers Committee was formed in 2020. Committee members will review campus policies, processes, and practices for elements that may be unintended barriers to access and opportunity for people of color at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. They will report their findings to Chancellor Drale and will collaborate with parties to reconcile racial barriers. Christine Jones, Dr. Mark Baillie, and Dr. Jennifer Hune will serve as co-chairs of the Racial Barriers Committee. The committee members include Lindsey Baertlein, Hyginus Ukadike, Clara Cardriche, Erin Flowers, Karen Kuralt, and Lakendra Mackey.]]> /news-archive/2021/03/22/social-work-month-lakendra-mackey/ Mon, 22 Mar 2021 16:26:20 +0000 /news/?p=78563 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Social Work Month: LaKendra Mackey]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is recognizing outstanding social work students in celebration of this March. The next student to be featured in this installment is senior and first-generation college student LaKendra Mackey.听 Tell us a bit about yourself.听 I鈥檓 from Texas. I am a mother, veteran, sister, daughter, and various other titles. I love anime, BTS (K-Pop), and Asian dramas. I enjoy trying new foods and learning how to overcome my numerous apprehensions. I joined the BSW program in Fall 2019 and hope to graduate in May 2021 with honors.听 What made you decide to study social work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock? I have been through some crazy life hardships. At first, I was either in denial or ashamed about the situations I found myself in. I had to humble myself and ask for assistance. I reached out to the Veteran Hospital at Fort Roots, and a social worker asked me, 鈥淲hy are you here?鈥� I just let it all out. She does not know this, but she saved me that day. She hugged me, and I realized I hadn’t had a hug in so long. My mood changed, and I felt like I could see the sun rising.听 At the Veteran Day Treatment Center in Little Rock, two other social workers have been helpful in my journey with affordable housing. They have been very encouraging in my decision to pursue social work.听 These three ladies always pushed me to go forward. Whenever I became distant, they rallied their resources and made sure to involve me in life again. Because of the struggles I was facing, I realized that there are probably others like me and that I want to help them like I have been receiving help. The whole pay it forward.听 What are your plans after you graduate? I want to get my MSW degree. I have applied for a concurrent degree plan with the Clinton School of Public Service for the . I am still feeling my way around. Whatever avenue I decide on to pursue my MSW, I plan to spend my time learning and exploring all aspects of becoming the best social worker.听 March is Social Work Month, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) announced that the theme this month is Tell us why you think social workers are essential. Social workers are everywhere. They are deep in the trenches with nurses and doctors. They鈥檙e at schools and daycares, at the nursing homes, hospice, hospitals, and other places providing resources and comfort. They are standing on the sidelines voicing their opinions and advocating for people. Social workers are working with the homeless population and giving them the necessities to combat the spread of COVID-19.听 They do this because social workers get the job done. They receive the action plan, and they execute it. Social workers are soldiers for humanities.听 How has studying social work affected you as a person? Social work humbles you to a certain point. I am not so quick to judge people anymore. When I catch myself thinking stereotypically, I am quick to self-reflect and call myself out on the act. Social work makes you aware of the environmental, social, mental health, and financial aspects of a situation.听 Who have been some of your mentors or supporters throughout your time in the program? My family has always been my biggest supporters. My social work classmates have been very involved with cheering me on and demanding I reach for the stars. Vocational rehabilitation, Trio SSS, and SADI have, in their own way, allowed me to taste greatness, and I have acquired a taste for it now.听 Also, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has been very supportive of me as a non-traditional student. I can truthfully say that when I wanted something, they provided me with the resources to thrive.听 What advice do you have for people thinking of majoring in social work? You need to be able just to listen and then, after the session, you write. I feel like I have written about six great works of literature to rival Shakespeare. If you can’t actively listen, this may not be for you. If you detest writing, this is not for you.听 The main question is why do you want to do social work? If the answer is that you enjoy helping people, you don’t need a social work degree to help. Be honest with yourself on why you want to do social work. ]]> /news-archive/2021/02/23/book-grant-award-recipients/ Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:55:08 +0000 /news/?p=78409 ... Campus Bookstore Doubles Number of Student Book Grant Award Recipients]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Campus Bookstore awarded a total of $25,000 in student scholarships for the spring 2021 semester, a $15,000 increase over previous semesters. This increase in the scholarship enabled the Bookstore Advisory Committee to select double the number of recipients to receive the book grant awards, adding much needed support for students within the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock community. According to the bookstore manager Brenda Thomas, they were able to give out a total of 50 book grant awards. Award recipients include 36 undergraduate students: Andrew Harden, Andrea Vargas, Ashley Gray, Bernard Gaer, Cami Lambert, Chaney Callahan, Clayton Hughes, Cory Gibson, Ebony Jackson, Faviola Alba, Haley Hankins, Jackson Jones, Jalen Black, Jasmine Morrow, Joy Allen, Kenedie St. Mary, Lakendra Mackey, Madison Harper, Makayla Harville, Makayla Machen, Maria McNeill, Meghan McClain, Morgan Morrow, Noah Eggensperger, Reanna Hamm, Shanna Hastings, Shuntele Carroll, Stephen Malec, Sydney Miller, Takeria Toombs, Teylen Patterson, Tiarra Richardson, Timothy Croft, Tonya Anderson, Victoria Corley, and Yashvi Adhvaryu. In addition, the grant was awarded to graduate students Cassandra LaBahn, Eureka Ice, Kasha Greer, LaKeisha Matthews, Latoya McCoy, LeCole White, Viola Schaeffer; and William H. Bowen School of Law students Daniel Vega, Hayley Ferguson, Lina Nguyen, Morgan Topping, Nicole Schaum, Noel Ahaneku, and Sarah Dika. 鈥淚 felt ecstatic and thankful when I found out that I was awarded the book scholarship,鈥� Matthews said. 鈥淚 have never been awarded a scholarship like this before, and this award encouraged me about my learning opportunities for the upcoming semester.鈥� The recipients represent a multitude of majors from marketing to social work, finance, art, nursing and engineering, to name a few. McNeill, an undergraduate studying health education and promotion, said this award allowed her to purchase books without any out-of-pocket expenses.听 鈥淭his, in turn, allowed me to work fewer hours during the semester and spend my time studying instead,鈥� McNeill said. Eggensperger, an undergraduate social work student, said this award gave him the opportunity to own his textbooks rather than rent them. 鈥淭his is invaluable as the content I’m currently learning will be the foundation of my career as a social worker,鈥� Eggensperger said. 鈥淚鈥檓 honored to have been a recipient of this award.鈥� This award not only assists students with purchasing textbooks, but it also allows them to access their books on time and begin the semester prepared for classes. 鈥淚 was able to go directly to the bookstore and get what I needed to be equipped for the semester studies,鈥� said White, a graduate social work student. 鈥淭hank you so much 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock!鈥� According to one recipient, this can make all the difference for students, especially now. 鈥淎wards like this are important, especially during the trying times and uncertainty we are experiencing right now,鈥� said Ice, a graduate student. 鈥淚t takes away the burden of having to pay so much for books, which are expensive. Student debt is such a heavy burden for millions of people like me, especially minorities. I’m grateful for this opportunity.鈥� Ferguson, a Bowen law student, said that while this award was not enough to cover the entire cost of her books, it relieved a great deal of stress surrounding the furthering of her education. 鈥淟aw school textbooks are extremely expensive, and it was so hopeful to be able to have part of them paid through this award,鈥� Ferguson said. 鈥淲hen I heard I got this award, I felt an instant relief of stress because I would not have to work extra hours in my second job to be able to afford my textbooks. I was able to relax and enjoy my Christmas break. Scholarships such as this one are so important, especially to law students, because the cost of furthering education is so expensive.鈥� As an undergraduate social work student, Mackey said this award allowed her to take care of her children鈥檚 needs rather than paying for her own supplies. 鈥淲ith scholarships and grants, an individual can feel that they are worthy of receiving an education just like everyone else,鈥� Mackey said. 鈥淧arents can feel like they are not taking money out of the house to continue their education.鈥� Eligibility for the scholarship included a minimum 2.5 GPA, six completed credit hours for graduate students, and nine completed credit hours for undergraduate students. The Bookstore Advisory Committee also considered leadership qualities, academic achievements, community service, and financial need. 听 鈥淲hen I received the email that I had been selected for the book grant award, I felt overjoyed, honored, and highly appreciative,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淭his award afforded me the opportunity of alleviating the financial stressor, which allowed me to focus more on my academic progress and the continuation of my education goals.鈥� An undergraduate finance student echoed this statement, saying the recent pandemic has added significant financial strain on families such as his, but receiving this award allowed him to look forward to a successful semester. 鈥淭his book grant meant a lot to me as this was the first scholarship award I have received as a student,鈥� Malec said. 鈥淏eing able to purchase my books with this award has greatly helped me and my family. Thank you to all involved in making this book grant award happen. I appreciate it very much.鈥�]]> /news-archive/2020/11/19/lakendra-mackey-first-generation/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:05:50 +0000 /news/?p=77931 ... Mother of six plans career as social worker after graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock]]> social work major, is working hard to show her six children the importance of a college education. 鈥淚 waited so late in life, but I鈥檓 doing it,鈥� Mackey said. 鈥淚 feel like I have to prove that I have a right to be here because of my age, my race, my gender, everything. I am showing my daughter and my sons that you shouldn鈥檛 let obstacles stop you from achieving a degree. My oldest child is 21 and is a junior while I am senior. I am trying to beat him to graduation. I feel that having a degree will assist me and my children in having a better quality of life.鈥� Mackey moved to Little Rock after serving 10 years in the U.S. Navy and earned an associate degree at University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College before joining 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. She鈥檚 found the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO programs and staff, which help first-generation college students succeed, to be of immense support during her college career. 鈥淭hey are giving me the tools to stand on my own two feet,鈥� Mackey said. 鈥淭RIO has helped me in a lot of ways to stay afloat in my courses. The advisors let me talk to them and give me a sense of relief that it鈥檚 just not me. You just have to get over that hump. They take your small successes, and they make it into a big deal.鈥� Mackey will graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in May 2021 and plans to enter the Master of Social Work program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock next fall. After facing homelessness, PTSD, and raising one child with special needs, Mackey wants to become a social worker to help others the way social workers helped her. 鈥淚 found that when I was at my lowest in my life that it was a social worker that assisted me and helped me get on my feet,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were there for me more so than a family member or friend. They assisted me by making me realize that it was already within me to achieve what I wanted to do. Since I was new to Little Rock, they helped me get my bearings of where to go. I like helping people. I want to help fellow veterans and people who are disabled like my son.鈥� Working as a social work intern at Hall High School is providing Mackey with valuable experience for her future career, and she is working hard to connect students with resources that can help them during a pandemic. 鈥淗all High School has recently changed into a magnet school, and their student body has changed drastically. A lot of the students are virtual, and it can be harder to reach out to them,鈥� Mackey said. 鈥淚 feel like we are reaching out to the students more so because of the pandemic. I feel that it is affecting students more. They are not engaging with their friends, and they may be getting depressed or mentally anguished.鈥� Mackey also strongly believes in service to the community and setting a good example for her students and future social work clients by staying active in volunteer work and community organizations. At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, she is a volunteer for the Mentoring Veterans Program and the Student Affairs Diversity Initiative. In the community, she volunteers with Arkansas Food Bank and Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, as well as passes out student breakfasts and lunches at Dee Brown Library.]]>