3 UB School of Social Work students awarded WNY Prosperity Fellowship

University at Buffalo School of Social Work students Elizabeth Ramirez, Destiny Rust and Arianna Wink have been awarded the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Generously supported by the Prentice Family Foundation, the WNY Prosperity Fellowship assists students in actively preparing for careers that further economic development and growth in the Western New York area.

The fellowship connects students with a network of support, offering fellows a high level of instruction and hands-on experiences that instill an understanding of the economic challenges and opportunities awaiting them as they undertake their post-graduation careers. Fellows also receive the opportunity to intern in their chosen fields of interest, where they work alongside and are mentored by leaders in upper-level management.

Ramirez is a proud first-generation student born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is an MBA/MSW student entering the second year of her program and was a 2022 Social Impact Fellow. A second-year student in the WNY Prosperity Fellowship program, Ramirez plans on living in Buffalo post-graduation and wants to support the social challenges of underrepresented groups in corporate Western New York. To maximize her reach, she strives to provide consulting to nonprofits in the area.

Rust is a second-year MSW student from Malone, N.Y. She received her bachelor's degree from UB, majoring in health and human services, concentrating in community mental health and minoring in counseling and psychology, with a micro-credential in child advocacy studies. She begins her journey as a Behavioral Health Workforce and Education Training Fellow this fall. Rust hopes to eventually invest in marginalized and oppressed communities, increasing mental health care access and quality.

Wink is originally from Canandaigua, N.Y. She is a dual MBA/MSW student. Wink attended Judson University, where she majored in psychology and minored in business. She also is a 2023 Social Impact Fellow, through which she is gaining experience and preparing to address social issues using principles of entrepreneurship and social innovation. In the future, she wants to create pathways for those for whom college isn't the right fit to gain professional certifications and relevant experience and get jobs in local companies.

The Prentice Family Foundation was created by its generous benefactors, Bryant H. Prentice III and his wife, Joan P. Prentice. Its goal is to promote the economic development of the Western New York area by combining support for college and graduate students who demonstrate an entrepreneurial drive with investments in businesses located in Western New York.