Lincoln University Social Work Student Selected as 2026 BPD Student Fellow

Deyana Chism, a graduating senior BSW student at Lincoln University, was selected as one of only five students nationwide to serve as a 2026 Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD) Student Fellow - a competitive, nationally recognized honor that provided support, training and leadership opportunities to an exceptional group of social work students. Supported by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Faculty-Led Student Travel program in the Office of the Provost, Deyana traveled to New Orleans to attend the 2026 BPD Annual Conference alongside her faculty mentor, Amber Bell, director of the BSW program and associate professor of social work.

A Student Leader with a Purpose

Deyana is hardworking, dependable and genuinely committed to others - values that were shaped long before she entered a social work classroom. Social work did not create who she is; it gave her a framework for the person she has always been. She leads not by seeking recognition but by showing up, doing the work and staying true to her commitment to others. At Lincoln University, she serves as president of the Student Social Work Association and the Phi Alpha Honor Society Chi Chapter and is an active member of the Baptist Student Union College Ministry. Her faith is reflected in her commitment to scholarship and service and is part of what drives her dedication to others. Her current career goal is to become a social worker, committed to walking alongside children from under-resourced communities - helping them navigate challenges, access opportunities and feel genuinely supported.

A Transformative Professional Experience

At the time of the conference, Deyana was actively completing her field placement (internship) at the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division in Jefferson City - a placement that typically requires 32 hours per week. Fulfilling the responsibilities of this honor while actively in field placement required intentional coordination. Deyana worked closely with Bell and the director of field education, Professor Andrea Reynolds, to ensure her conference participation was meaningfully connected to her field placement learning plan. As a student fellow, she did what she does best - she applied her social work education in a national professional setting. Deyana engaged with student attendees, participated in discussions around poster presentations, empowered first-time presenters who were navigating the conference experience and served as a discussant on a panel. She brought the knowledge from her classroom directly into a national professional space, and it showed. She attended a plenary session exploring how federal policy changes, including cuts to Pell Grants and financial aid, are reshaping social work education - a timely and relevant discussion for any social work student preparing to enter the profession. While at the exhibit hall, she engaged with graduate programs from across the country, finding herself drawn to the Divinity/MSW dual degree program at Howard University, which is consistent with the graduate-level aspirations she has been actively pursuing. She also offered candid, student-centered feedback on field placement software platforms, the kind of grounded, practical input that only someone doing the work can provide.

Investing in Student Excellence

Deyana Chism's selection as a 2026 BPD Student Fellow reflects both her hard work and the investment Lincoln University makes in developing its students as professionals. The College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Faculty-Led Student Travel program in the Office of the Provost made this experience possible - and Deyana made the most of it.