Caswell’s $280,000 gift impacts students, families
An internship at Caswell Development Center has fueled recreational therapy major Jordan Cianci’s passion to work with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Social work major Niki Cobb became emotional when accepting the Caswell scholarship, partly in honor of her uncle.
Guests and students, including Jordan Cianci, left, took pictures together after the School of Social Work Office of Field Education dedication ceremony on March 7. (Photos by Rhett Butler)
Those moments were celebrated recently when the East Carolina University College of Health and Human Performance dedicated its School of Social Work Office of Field Education to honor the Caswell Center Foundation. A $280,000 gift from the foundation has created endowments that will fund scholarships and internships for students in ECU’s social work, recreational therapy and music therapy programs.
Cobb was the first student to earn the Caswell Center Foundation Scholarship in Social Work. The U.S. Army veteran already was plenty familiar with the Caswell Development Center in Kinston, where her uncle was a resident.
“They took care of my uncle, and when I called my mom to let her know I got a scholarship from Caswell, she busted out crying and me too and it was emotional,” Cobb said. “It’s full circle. I visited there when I was child. The scholarship meant so much so me. I’m an older student and nontraditional, and it’s been a very positive experience. I’ve been so happy at ECU.”
Cobb and Cianci both are graduating in May.
“It has ignited my passion for recreational therapy,” Cianci said of her Caswell internship. “It has been great having different experiences with different populations with different disabilities. Caswell has an amazing variety of resources to suit all of their residents, but we also do community outings and excursions, like we just went for three days to go snow tubing and hiking and stay in a cabin. It was beautiful and the residents loved it. Every interaction with staff and the residents at Caswell has taught me so much about myself and how I want to be as a therapist.”
Representatives from the College of Health and Human Performance and the Caswell Center Foundation board gather at the new School of Social Work Office of Field Education plaque.
The Caswell Center Foundation was established in 1999. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in eastern North Carolina.
Chris Dyba, ECU’s vice chancellor for University Advancement, emphasized the deep connections between Caswell and ECU, and shared missions that benefit students and families in the region.
“The Caswell Center Foundation gift is a perfect example of a donation that is truly transformative,” Dyba said. “This gift is an investment in the university’s No. 1 priority, student success. It elevates programs that serve others and will help train future leaders who we know will transform the communities where they will work. We are very appreciative of the foundation and its support of ECU.”
The four Caswell Center Foundation endowments include the Internship Endowment in Social Work, which provides scholarship support for students completing their required internships in social work; the Internship Endowment in Music Therapy, which will provide an award to students completing their required internships in music therapy; the Scholarship Endowment in Social Work, which will provide two scholarship awards annually for students pursuing a degree in social work; and the Scholarship Endowment in Recreational Therapy, which will provide a scholarship for a student majoring in recreational therapy.
The School of Social Work and the recreational therapy program are both part of the College of Health and Human Performance. Music therapy is in the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts and Communication.
Faculty and staff in these programs actively strive to connect students with community partners to help deliver a positive and well-rounded student experience.
“Student experiential learning with community partners provides a useful, real-world learning opportunity prior to graduation,” said Susannah Berry, HHP’s assistant dean for undergraduate studies and assessment. “HHP values experiential learning. It is inherent in our mission, and we are proud of the opportunities students receive. I am confident that our students will make the most of the scholarships made available to them by the gifts from the Caswell Center Foundation. Our hope is that they will use the opportunities to better prepare themselves for the workforce and to thrive in their field.”
Berry, Dyba and Danny Rice ’73, representing Caswell, gave remarks during the dedication ceremony in the Rivers Building.
Rice has dedicated his career to serving individuals with disabilities. For more than two decades he served as director of community services at the Caswell Developmental Center and was its founding executive director. Rice has earned numerous accolades for community contributions, including an ECU Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award, Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service.
Dyba thanked Rice for his leadership during the process of securing this gift. Rice expects the support to have a widespread positive impact on people.
“Our Caswell Center Foundation board of directors is very excited about our partnership with ECU and our joint efforts to improve the service delivery system to persons with developmental disabilities and their families in eastern North Carolina,” Rice said.