Two members of the UT Social Work community were recently honored by the NASW Texas Capital Area Branch for their achievements in social work.
Tammy Linseisen, LCSW, ACSW, earned the Lifetime Achievement Award. Her award was based on the criteria demonstrating repeated outstanding achievements, having recognition beyond the social work profession, making contributions of lasting impact and showing outstanding creativity. Linseisen said the award felt like “a reflection of her mentors” as she accepted the honor.
“Over the years, I’ve watched several people that I admire win this award, and it means so much to me to be recognized with this honor,” Linseisen said. “Our work builds upon the shoulders of many, and we all stand upon each other in this work. I feel so honored and motivated with this recognition, especially because of the students we still have to teach, the opportunities we have before us, and the good impact social workers in Texas still have ahead!”
Mateo Vallejo, a first-year MSSW student, earned Student of the Year. His award recognizes achievement by a student for advancing social work values and ethics. He also recently received the Andrew Marks MSW Student Advocacy Award from NASW Texas. Vallejo said the recognition was also built on the legacy of his family, mentors and peers.
“Receiving this award in my first year in the MSSW program is deeply humbling, and it is not an achievement of mine alone, but of Delma and Pablo Vallejo IV, Norma and Pablo Vallejo III, Juan and Amparo Balderrama, and my mentors Dr. Fiona Conway, Starla Simmons, and Dr. Jaime Fuentes-Balderrama, as well as so many of my classmates and others,” said Vallejo. “It is their intelligence, bravery, ethics, and values that I channel in every step I take in life and on campus. This award is thus the culmination of a year of ethical social work and multiple lifetimes of who I hope to become.”
Both Linseisen and Vallejo accepted their awards during a luncheon at Stiles Switch BBQ on Wednesday, April 22.