A mother-daughter duo pursues their dreams—hand in hand—as they work toward their Master of Social Work degrees at the Graduate College of Social Work.

A mother’s love 

When Lourdes first arrived in the United States from Puerto Rico in 1999, she lived as a stay-at-home mother. Throughout the years, Lourdes considered returning to school but chose to focus on her three children. 

Little did she know that she was waiting for the right time, the right MSW program, and as it turned out – the right person to join her on the journey. 

Upon returning to work in the mid-2000s, she began working with immigrant communities as an educator. Her dedication to her clients led her to experiences that reaffirmed her desire to return to school in pursuit of her master’s degree. 

“In 2019, I met this family of a single mother and twins. When COVID happened, the [twins’] teacher called and told me, ‘Miss Ocasio, we cannot find these students. We cannot find this family.’ The main barrier was language – when I followed up with them, they were totally lost because they didn’t speak English. The school didn't ask me to do that, but I felt that literally this community was invisible. For me, it was not acceptable. We need to do something about it. I try to advocate as much as I can.” 

After graduation, Lourdes intends to pursue social work opportunities in primary education. She is also open to learning new ways to apply her skillset, now that she has an advanced degree. 

The apple never falls far from the tree 

After graduating from Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas, with a degree in Political Science, Fiama worked professionally before deciding to take steps toward furthering her education. While she has yet to start her professional social work career, her aspirations were always rooted in her desire to create an impact. After witnessing her mother Lourdes's devotion to her family and serving the community and young students, she decided to follow the path of social work. 

“All of that has pushed me to want to find other ways to make an impact. My mom is Puerto Rican, and my dad is Mexican. In the culture I come from, I see the impacts of colonization on my family. I’m always remembering where I can make an impact.” 

After graduating with her MSW this May, Fiama will follow in her mom’s footsteps as she pursues social work opportunities in primary education, “My priority right now is just getting as much experience as I can. I want to understand the day-to-day experience and how we see the faults in the system playing out in the lives of students.” 

A bond, changed forever 

Lourdes and Fiama entered the GCSW with a strong foundation as mother and daughter, but their time as classmates deepened their connection in meaningful new ways—as peers, collaborators, and future social work practitioners, “Because we have a new understanding about therapy and human behavior, we can practice what we learn on our relationship,” Lourdes reflected, “Before, I acted as a mom, listening and giving advice to Fiama. Now, we are on the same level. We share this new information that we have been learning and understanding. We have deep conversations together and at the same time feel comfortable being vulnerable or making mistakes and being open to new ideas. 

They’ve also come to rely on each other when one of them needs time to finish their schoolwork. Last semester, the two carpooled on a regular basis. 

“There were times that we were behind with the readings or the podcast that we were supposed to be listening to,” Lourdes laughed, “One of us would say, ‘You drive this time because I need to finish my paper!’ It’s cute that we can support each other like that.” 

Hometown heroes 

When asked who her social work hero is, Lourdes highlighted a fellow Puerto Rican woman who once worked in youth detention before starting an organization called Jovenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, or Puerto Rican Youth at Risk.  

“I met Mercedes Cintron before moving to the United States,” she said, “Her organization helps students get jobs, finish high school and college, or gaining more opportunities. She used a lot of our culture to empower them.” 

When asked the same question, Fiama said with a smile, “My hero is my mom.” 

The Graduate College of Social Work is honored to have the opportunity to highlight our graduates and their compelling stories. Congratulations, Lourdes and Fiama, on a job well done. We can’t wait to witness the many wonderful things you will achieve!