Ivy Hammond graduated from the USC School of Social Work in May 2015, becoming the first recipient of the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work to receive a master’s in social work. Established in 2012 by Board of Councilors member Mark Spratt, MSW/MPA ’03, the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work, named in honor of Spratt’s partner, is awarded to students who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQ matters through academic work, community involvement and other personal contributions.

“Many of our scholarship applicants face rejection from peers, communities and, in some cases, their own families,” Spratt said. “The Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work helps make educational opportunities available to young people who are striving make a positive impact on society.”

For Hammond, receiving this particular scholarship strengthened her feeling of responsibility for supporting the LGBTQ population. “We talk about having professionals that either have personal knowledge or understanding of a client’s experience and we often look at that in terms of race or gender, but the same is true for queer identities,” Hammond said.

She chose child welfare for her specialization and did her field placement through the University Consortium for Children and Families (UCCF), which offers a simultaneous internship with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and SHIELDS for Families, a mental health nonprofit. In September 2015, she was hired on at DCFS. “When I came into the program I never thought I would be working for the government. I always thought I would be part of a nonprofit,” Hammond said. “But, when you see a challenged system, why not try to fix it? There are a disproportionate number of LGBTQ youth in the foster care system, and they have worse outcomes.”

Receiving the Matthew Holland Scholarship in Social Work significantly impacted her second year of study. “During my first year of the program, I was a nanny for three families on the side in order to participate as a full time student,” Hammond said. “In my second year, having scholarships, in combination with my stipend from the UCCF, allowed me to dedicate all of my efforts to social work, and that felt really wonderful.”

Additionally, Hammond got involved with a research study on homeless youth, another area which considerably impacts the LGBTQ community. She also became a co-chair of the Rainbow Alliance Caucus, which promotes engagement among LGBTQ social work students, and provides information and tools for non-LGBTQ clinicians on how they can most effectively help their clients who identify as LGBTQ.

“I am very appreciative of the opportunities afforded me by the USC School of Social Work,” Hammond said. “I feel like I definitely reaped a lot of benefits from what the school has to offer.”