Student Symposium - 2025 NASW-CA Annual Conference

The 2025 Student Symposium is a one-day, student-led event scheduled the day before the NASW-CA Annual Conference. This gathering will spotlight the voices, talents, and leadership of social work students across California. Through presentations, panels, and interactive sessions, students will address relevant themes tied to the State conference topic, "A Commitment to Change."

4 CEUs available for attending Student Symposium

Target audience:

Undergraduate and graduate-level social work students
Student leaders and campus advocates
Faculty, field instructors, and NASW members

Fees:

Student NASW Member - Free

Student Non-Member - $55

Professional - $85

To join as NASW member go to https://www.socialworkers.org/Membership

Note: The fee is an addition to the general conference fee and will be added to the total amount due at the conclusion of the registration process.

Student Symposium Agenda

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM Welcome

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Jaesen Evangelista - Student-Led Advocacy for Immigrant Rights

Presenter Bio:

Jaesen Evangelista is a Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Southern California, where she currently interns with the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck Keck Human Rights Clinic (SDP-KHRC). In this role, she supports immigrants seeking asylum through pro bono forensic psychological evaluations, case management, and advocacy efforts. Previously, Jaesen served with the AmeriCorps through the St. Joseph Worker Program at Mission Hospital, where she worked closely with migrant and underserved communities, providing case management, mental health outreach, and social justice advocacy. Currently, Jaesen serves as President of the USC School of Social Work Student Organization and as NASW-CA Student Director South, positions she uses to amplify student voices and champion equity for vulnerable populations.

Session Description:

This presentation directly addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion by highlighting the unique barriers immigrants face within the political and legal landscape, and by centering the lived experiences of asylum seekers from diverse backgrounds. Drawing on work at the USC SDP-Keck Human Rights Clinic, it demonstrates how students can utilize interdisciplinary collaboration and culturally responsive advocacy to uplift the voices of marginalized immigrant communities. The session invites participants to utilize their own role as students and social workers in advancing social justice and equity for immigrant communities and other vulnerable populations.

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Elizabeth Padilla, MSW Student, USC and Dulce Acosta, DSW - Student, USC Voice, Vision, and Vitality: Diversifying Healthcare by Empowering Historically Marginalized Pre-Health Students

Presenter Bio:

Elizabeth Padilla is the Outreach Coordinator for the USC PA Pathways Program and Bio Equity Ed, leading initiatives that center mentorship, early exposure, and academic equity for historically underrepresented students in healthcare and green spaces. With a decade of nonprofit experience, Elizabeth has tackled issues ranging from food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic to grant writing and program management for grassroots organizations. Her work spans career access, outdoor equity, and structural inequality. She began her Master’s in Social Work in Spring 2025 and continues to expand pre-health pathway programs in partnership with other dedicated individuals, including Pre-PA, Pre-Behavioral Health, and Pre-Occupational Therapy branches. Elizabeth also serves as Vice-Chair of the Women’s Wellness IRG at Keck School of Medicine and secretary for La Comunidad, an inclusive resource group dedicated to uplifting Latino faculty, staff, and learners. Recently has taken a Co-Community Outreach/Social Event Position for the Latinx Social Work Caucus.

Dulce Acosta is the Senior Principal Director of Civic Engagement at USC and a Doctor of Social Work candidate. Raised near USC’s Health Campus, she witnessed firsthand the barriers faced by underserved communities and has dedicated her career to expanding access, resources, and role models for youth and families. A first-generation college graduate, Dulce earned degrees from East Los Angeles College, Cal State LA, and USC’s School of Social Work while balancing work and family life. Her journey from high school dropout to doctoral candidate reflects her passion for perseverance, education, and community empowerment.

Session Description:

This presentation centers diversity, equity, and inclusion by highlighting student-led, community-informed interventions that dismantle systemic barriers in healthcare education. Through real-world case studies, the speakers illustrate how intentional investments in culturally grounded, interprofessional pathway programs can elevate historically excluded voices, particularly Black, Latinx, Native, and first-generation pre-health students. Rooted in social work values, the session advocates for equity in access, representation across all health professions, and the necessity of structural change to achieve just outcomes.

12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Lunch- Townhall with NASW Leadership

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM Emonie Robinson -Policing the Womb: Reproductive Control and the Denial of Birthing Autonomy

Presenter Bio:

Emonie Robinson is a doctoral student in Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a recent graduate of UCLA’s Master of Social Welfare program. Her academic and research interests focus on reproductive justice, Black maternal health, and the impact of carceral systems on birthing individuals. She is interested in exploring the journey of those who experience surveillance, coercion, and neglect in medical institutions in the U.S. She wants to uplift the lived experiences of system-impacted families and challenge the institutional barriers that shape their maternal care. As a single mother navigating higher education, Emonie brings a personal lens to her scholarship. Her motherhood journey lit a pathway for her passion towards reimagining systems of care that promote autonomy and community-based support. Outside of academia, she is the founder of Monie Meltz, a candle business and she is a certified yoga instructor who is interested in cultivating holistic wellness for herself and others. Emonie’s interdisciplinary approach bridges policy analysis, community organizing, and somatic practice. She envisions a climate where Black and Brown birthing people are supported, informed, and free.

Session Description:

This session examines how carceral logics shape reproductive healthcare experiences for Black and Brown birthing individuals. Drawing from a reproductive justice framework, the presentation will explore practices such as coerced C-sections, restricted access to doulas, and inadequate postpartum care—highlighting how these systemic harms disproportionately impact communities across California. The discussion will also address the mental health consequences of these intersecting oppressions while uplifting community-driven solutions rooted in care, autonomy, and justice. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how structural violence influences birth outcomes and tangible strategies for advocacy and care practices that affirm birthing autonomy.

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM Manuel Gomez - From Incarceration to Implementation: SMART Decarceration and Systemic Change through Lived Expertise

Presenter Bio:

Manuel Gomez is a doctoral candidate in social work at California Baptist University and a dedicated advocate for justice-involved veterans. A Navy veteran and formerly incarcerated person, Manuel has transformed his lived experience into leadership across government, nonprofit, and academic sectors. He serves as Executive Director of Vet Phoenix, a nonprofit founded and led by formerly incarcerated veterans and doctoral-level social workers, and sits on the boards of Uncommon Law and the Center for Restorative Justice Works. Previously, he held an executive leadership position in Los Angeles County, where he developed the Justice-Involved Veterans Division, oversaw multimillion-dollar initiatives, and shaped statewide policy addressing veterans’ mass incarceration. His scholarship integrates veteran critical theory with criminology and social work, centering resilience, reentry, and systemic reform. His current research agenda examines mass incarceration of veterans, systemic disparities, and SMART Decarceration strategies—guided by the conviction that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution.

Session Description:

This presentation centers the lived experience of a formerly incarcerated veteran of color who now leads systemic reform from within government, exemplifying equity in leadership and representation. By drawing on narrative authority, cultural humility, and peer-led innovation, the session challenges dominant carceral frameworks and uplifts justice-impacted voices often excluded from policy design. It addresses structural barriers faced by marginalized populations, particularly veterans of color with service-connected trauma, while offering inclusive and trauma-informed strategies rooted in dignity, access, and systems accountability. This session advances social justice through practice by showing how lived expertise can transform institutions from punitive to restorative.

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM Luis Rojas - Tattoo art as a therapeutic tool

Presenter Bio:

Luis Rojas is a passionate advocate with a background in the legal sector and social work. Rojas possesses extensive experience in community organizing, civil rights litigation, criminal defense, high-profile product liability and police misconduct cases. Currently in his final semester as a graduate student at the USC's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, specializing in Social Change and Innovation. Raised in Orange County, he began his career by volunteering in grassroots organizing and providing legal advocacy for individuals in lower socio-economic communities. His academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts in English, a minor in Latin American Studies, and an A.B.A. accredited Paralegal Certification. Through his Master’s degree, he aims to further advance his career in public service and positive social change. Beyond his commitment to community service, Rojas enjoys music, art, outdoor activities, hiking, running, soccer, and relaxing at the beach during his leisure time.

Session Description:

This 15-minute creative expression presentation explores tattooing as a powerful form of visual storytelling, cultural symbolism, and personal healing. Across history and cultures, tattoos have carried meaning far beyond their aesthetic value, representing identity, spirituality, resilience, and transformation. Through a live demonstration by artist Ozmi Cuevas, the presenter will highlight tattooing not only as an art form but also as a meditative practice that connects individuals to their inner experiences and to the broader human story.