Growing Up, Showing Up: Identity, Trauma, and the Call to Social Work

Authors

• Grace Sweeney, St. John Fisher University

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Publication Date

4-17-2026

Keywords

fsc2026

Abstract

This presentation explores how childhood poverty and trauma shape long‑term development, and how those social problems connect to my emerging identity as a future social worker. Drawing on research about ACEs, minority stress, and trauma‑informed care, I examine the systemic challenges faced by underserved children in Rochester. I integrate this literature with my own lived experiences supporting siblings through mental health crises, my 275+ volunteer hours at GiGi’s Playhouse, and my “I Am From” self‑project, which traces the personal roots of my commitment to service. Together, these elements show how my academic work, community engagement, and personal history have prepared me for a career in child‑ and family‑focused social work, and how this Honors Keystone project lays the foundation for my future as an LCSW.

Comments

Poster presented at the 2026 Fisher Showcase, St. John Fisher University, April 17, 2026.

Publication Information

Sweeney, Grace, "Growing Up, Showing Up: Identity, Trauma, and the Call to Social Work" (2026). Fisher Showcase 2026. Paper 179.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/fsc2026/179

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