Savarra Tadeo

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Fall 2020 – present

PhD in Social Work

Legacy Fellowship

Fellows Society Adelaide D. Wilson Fellowship

Christopher D. Hefren Child Welfare Endowed Doctoral Scholarship

Joanna F. Gorman Endowed Scholarship

Leadership Positions in The Fellows Society

Chair of the Development Committee

Chair of the Fellows Society Development Committee Thank you for the nomination to serve as Chair of the Fellows Society Development Committee. My time in the Fellows Society my first year at FSU was made even more special by being able to hold a leadership position within the FSU Fellows Society Development Committee. I have a strong commitment to advancing the goals of the Fellows Society by promoting interdisciplinary activities for Fellows to share their time and experiences during. Organizing and planning with others in the Development Committee enhanced my relationships at FSU and I felt grateful to have the opportunity to lead and chair this past year. I would love to continue the role I started last year serving on the Advisory Board as Chair of the Fellows Society Development Committee. This next year is full of potential as we prepare for gatherings in person. I would feel honored to serve again and lead others in coordinating development this next exciting year! Chair of the Mentoring Initiative Committee Thank you for the nomination to serve as Chair of the Mentoring Initiative Committee. Throughout my graduate career, I have grown with the help of some truly wonderful mentors. I know how important it is to network, share support, and encourage through guided advice. The journey through academia and beyond is challenging. I feel mentors are key to successful development and the new mentoring initiative is crucial for the development of our FSU Fellows. Continuing relationships with FSU Fellows Society Alumni opens up so many different avenues for current Fellows to enhance their growth as scholars. The initiative will also allow for Fellows Society Alumni to grow as mentors and give back to the community that enhanced their development while at FSU. I would like to provide the best support that I can to the interdisciplinary growth experiences that the FSU Fellows Society Mentoring Initiative will provide for everyone involved. Therefore, I would be honored to serve on the Advisory Board as the Chair of the Mentoring Initiative Committee.

Educational/Professional Background

Currently, I am a second-year doctoral student in the College of Social Work at FSU. My research and publications have focused on child welfare examining mental health outcomes, health risk behaviors, protective factors, and resilience among youth. I received the Legacy Fellowship and the Fellows Society Adelaide D. Wilson Fellowship my first year at FSU. I held leadership positions my first year in the doctoral program as cohort representative within my department and as Chair of Development for the Fellows Society Development Committee. I have presented my research for the Fellows Society and at national conferences this past year. I have also shared my research initiatives with FSU Retired Faculty and spoken on behalf of the Fellows Society to provide information on how my fellowships have allowed me to advance as a scholar. Additionally, I have experience reviewing publications for journals and in mentoring students developing research in interdisciplinary departments. My favorite personal experience is mentoring a little sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters who will be aging out of residential care this year.

Previously, I obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Economics from the University of North Texas and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. I worked as a graduate research assistant at the University of Texas at Arlington before coming to FSU with research focused on adolescent health and mental health outcomes. I also provided group therapy in two different psychiatric hospitals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I worked with adult clients inpatient in the trauma unit and outpatient in mental health and dual diagnosis groups. Additionally, I have worked with adolescents both inpatient and outpatient. I enjoyed working as a clinician but am excited about moving forward with my research development and training at FSU.

Research and Teaching Interests, or Professional Field

My professional field is social work and my research interests include youth health risk behaviors, youth mental health outcomes, adolescent suicide prevention and non-suicidal self-injury, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed practices in juvenile settings, and sexual minority youth outcomes and protective factors.

Experience as A Graduate Student at FSU

The major highlight of my first year at FSU is the Fellows Society. I love to attend the research events and share in fellowship with top scholars at the university. It is exciting to hear their advances in research and share in the passion they have for their areas of interest. I also love to plan activities with the Fellows Society Development Committee and participate in those events. Furthermore, I have really enjoyed the camaraderie of my cohort in the Social Work PhD Program at FSU. We have a special relationship that provides much needed support during this time of COVID where academia is evolving.

Experience as A Member of The Fellows Society

Moving to Tallahassee and starting a PhD program during COVID was challenging the first semester. However, the Fellows Society gave me the fellowship I was looking forward to when I started my journey at FSU. I was able to connect with others who have a strong passion for research and willingness to share their interests and knowledge to form a sense of community within the Fellows Society. I felt a sense of warmth and acceptance from the group and pride in each other's work. I am proud to be part of this amazing fellowship and grateful for the experiences that the Fellows Society has awarded me this first year at FSU.

Future Plans/Aspirations

My future plans include my current goal of continuing my research in the areas of youth health and mental health while obtaining my doctoral training under the guidance of the renowned professors at FSU. My aspirations are to become a professor at a research-intensive university and to mentor and train other aspiring social scientists.