Roff Endowed Scholarship, Field Placements Prepare MSW Student in Final Semester
Growing up, Aaliyah Gates knew that she wanted to help others. She embraced a servant’s heart early in life as the needs of people around her emerged.
“As I grew up, I became the friend that people would come to for a listening ear or advice,” she said.
Later, she found the field of social work and discovered a holistic calling that weaves together compassion, justice and the drive to reshape communities for the better.
Gates’ pursuit of social work and focus on mental health resources are shaped by her rural upbringing in Bruce, Mississippi. With a deep empathy for the people in her hometown, she serves similar communities in Alabama, drawing on firsthand knowledge of the unique environmental needs of rural areas in the Deep South.
Gates, set to earn her master of social work degree from The University of Alabama School of Social Work in May 2026, has interned at the School health Model for Academics Reaching all Transforming lives (SMART) Clinic in Pickens County and is currently completing a field placement with the Dallas County Court System, working closely with the juvenile probation judge.
While interning in the court system in Dallas County, Gates has participated in various initiatives, including the development of the Children’s Policy Alliance, which seeks to improve outcomes for youth through programming and partnerships focused on education, criminal justice and mental health. She also observes and learns from the Rise and Recover program, which helps divert non-violent offenders onto a path of recovery and restoration.
Gates said she has witnessed numerous young men and women come through the Selma-based accountability court – designed for individuals whose crimes stem from addiction or mental health issues – who show promise but are weighed down by challenges that influence their decisions.
“People in Selma and Dallas County deal with food, housing and financial insecurities but Rise and Recover pours back into the young men and women who find themselves in the court system while holding them accountable,” Gates said.
These experiential opportunities through the School of Social Work’s field placement program have shaped Gates’ perspective and resilience – a period of growth aided by the Social Work Society – Dean Lucinda L. Roff Endowed Scholarship, one of the school’s top awards for full-time graduate students in honor of Dr. Lucinda L. Roff, who served as dean of the school for 16 years. The scholarship has provided up to $5,500 per recipient to as many as three MSW students per academic year.
Growing into the Challenges of Social Work
Gates’ journey into social work began in her senior year of undergraduate studies at the University of Mississippi, where she pursued psychology with the goal of becoming a counselor. A pivotal meeting with Carolyn Quin, a licensed social worker and the behavioral health director at the Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center in the Mississippi Delta, encouraged her to consider social work.
“After doing my research, I was amazed by how aligned social work was with what I wanted to do,” Gates said. “I took a few elective classes and loved them, which cemented my decision.”
This growing awareness has evolved since Gates began her graduate education, both through her clinical experiences and a unique arts-based research project, titled “If Social Work Were a Person: An Arts-Based Exploration of Social Work Identity Development in the Deep South.” The project deepened Gates and her classmates’ perspectives on doing social work in this region.
“It’s hard to be a social worker in the Deep South, but the people are resilient and help each other as a community,” she said.
This realization strengthened Gates’ commitment to advocacy and inspired her to pursue new opportunities to make a difference beyond the classroom. For instance, she has participated in the Washington D.C. Policy and Advocacy Fly-In twice, with a third trip scheduled in spring 2026. Gates said it is crucial to share social workers’ perspectives directly with legislators and advocate for policies that can improve lives in their communities.
“In 2025, I got the opportunity to meet with Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi in their offices to advocate for the Rural Health Hospital Act, which would provide funding for hospitals in rural areas,” she said.
SSW fills a void in support
Gates’ world shifted dramatically during the 2025 Policy and Advocacy Fly-In. Her mother, Kenya Wallace, called with devastating news: her father, Anthony Wallace, who had always been there for her and loved her deeply, passed away unexpectedly. The loss brought a wave of anguish and uncertainty about how she would continue her master’s studies.
She was suddenly unsure if she could afford to remain in Tuscaloosa and continue her education.
“Being awarded the Dean Lucinda L. Roff Endowed Scholarship meant I didn’t have to worry about those things,” Gates said. “It allowed me to focus on my schooling, my internship and to go back home and connect with my mom.”
After graduation, Gates hopes to become a licensed clinical social worker and open her own practice, serving rural communities that often lack access to mental health care.
“I just want to serve an area, or areas, that don’t have easy access to mental health providers,” she said.
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