West-Central Independent Living Solutions congratulates UCM Seniors, Bailli Mammen of Knob Noster and Matt Mullins of St. Louis, on receiving the Dave DeFrain Fellowship.
This fellowship is open to UCM seniors studying in a field of social work or human services. The DeFrain Fellowship was established in 2016 and is named in honor of WILS past Board member and Board president Dave DeFrain, who is also a retired director of the Department for Academic Achievement at UCM.
“I decided to get my education in social work because I see the climate of society and want to help make the world a better place,” says Mullins.
WILS collaborates with UCM’s Department of Social Work to select candidates to participate in an interview and application process with WILS’
Associate Executive Director and program supervisors. Once recipients are selected, they participate in a 480-hour practicum which includes case management, professional development, and other special projects with WILS staff.
Recipient Mammen says, “At WILS I am able to apply my social work values to empower people to live independently and advocate for a more inclusive society.”
WILS is a consumer driven, non-residential, 501(c)3 nonprofit resource center that serves people with disabilities and their families at all stages of life. As a Center for Independent Living (CIL), WILS strives to remove barriers and prejudices and empowers persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible.