Mathers ’22 Awarded Scholarship by National Organization for Human Services for Commitment to Community Service

In recognition of her leadership and dedication to community service, Caitlin Mathers ’22 has received the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) Harold McPheeters Scholarship, a service-based scholarship awarded to students who have contributed to the human services profession. 

Mathers, who is in her second year as the president of the Human Services Club, has a deep-seated commitment to community service, which began in high school. She has volunteered with organizations such as My Brother’s Table, St. Peters, Friendly House, and Catholic Charities. Through her work with Catholic Charities, she was offered the opportunity to serve as a Basic Needs Case and SNAP Outreach Worker during the summer of her sophomore year. 

“My time working this job affirmed that I am on the right career path to becoming a social worker,” she said of her experience. “Since then, I have dove into every opportunity I have been given in order to gain more experience in the human services field.”

One of those opportunities is serving as president of the Human Services Club at Assumption, a student-run organization that strives to increase awareness of existing human services in the Worcester area, as well as increase empathy to those individuals who need assistance. “As president of this club, I am able to facilitate a place where all people can feel welcome and comfortable,” Mathers explained. “I think it is sometimes difficult to find a place where you feel like you belong. However, I think when people come together to serve the common good it creates a sense of community like no other.”

Mathers’s favorite activity the club hosts is the annual Veterans’ Holiday Drive. “We collect hats, mittens, and toiletries. The club comes together and has a pizza party where we put together gift boxes filled with the donations. It's a lot of fun,” she said.

Mathers said that being president of the Human Services Club has taught her what it means to be a leader. “Being a leader involves balancing many different pieces to make the club successful,” she explained. “I have learned how to stay organized and on top of my tasks. I have also learned the importance of communication and collaboration. Without talking to others and receiving their help it would be very difficult to keep the club afloat.”

“Caitlin was chosen for this scholarship and recognized for her hard work and dedication to service,” said Christian Scannell Williams, Ph.D., a professor of practice in human services and rehabilitation counseling, who nominated Mathers for the award. “She has demonstrated her unwavering commitment to service both at Assumption and to the greater community.” 

Named in honor of Dr. Harold McPheeters, this scholarship commemorates his contributions to the human services profession, as he was regarded as the founder of human services education in the United States. Recipients of the scholarship are also said to have been acknowledged by others as being respectful of and dedicated to clients, as well as possessing interpersonal skills that are evident among colleagues in the workplace.