Services); Spc. DonLarae Richardson; Tanesha Richardson; Dr. Vikki L.
Vandiver (Dean, UA School of Social Work)
Spc. DonLarae Richardson, a graduate of the primarily online Master of Social Work program, was selected to receive the UA Online Veteran’s Appreciation Award due to his commitment to UA values and his achievements as a social worker in the United States Army.
He accepted his award at the third annual Veteran’s Appreciation and Awards Dinner, part of the Alabama Veteran’s Reunion weekend, held August 26-28, 2016.
“I believe obtaining my MSW from The University of Alabama through UA Online was one of the best decisions I could have made for my career. As a social worker in the military, I believe I am making an indelible impact on soldiers and their families. Without my experience from The University of Alabama, I do not believe I would have been fully prepared to assist my fellow brethren as we tackled real-world problems,” he said.
When asked about receiving this award, Spc. Richardson describes himself as someone who shies away from praise — for him, the best part of the night was getting to know other servicemen like himself.
“I had no idea how exciting it would be to see so many fellow service members in one room talking about their own experiences. By far that was the most exciting moment, [connecting] with different genres of veterans. Because of their sacrifices I had the opportunity to attend graduate school while still serving my country.”
Spc. Richardson is also the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal. He used his knowledge as an MSW to help the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Special Operations Forces establish their embedded behavioral clinic, for which he received the medal.
Published: August 28th, 2016