Ashley Aguy

As the full-time, 12 month, faculty member MSW Title IV-E Field Coordinator, teaching speciality, and field instructor, I have the honorable pleasure of supporting MSW students within the Title IV-E Fellowship program. My role includes but is not limited to being the field seminar instructor for our fellows, visiting them during their internship as they work through their learning goals, and engaging with agencies and supervisors as they support our interns. CASCW has also partnered with Ramsey County to create a program specializing in supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) students within the child welfare system with the hopes of providing BIPOC students the tools & skill to navigate through the county courageously and safely. While at the same time, Ramsey County is creating an environment that is supportive to BIPOC interns with the hopes of hiring them, increasing retention, job satisfaction, and promotions. I’ll serve as the program’s coordinator, field instructor for the students, and mentor for future Ramsey County employee mentors.

Prior to joining CASCW as an employee I was a graduate student in the School of Social Work program and a Title IV-E fellow. My child welfare work experience includes child protection screening, child protection investigations, and foster care licensing. I’ve also served as a school social worker for students in grades K-6 and a school based and community-based mental health practitioner.

Professionally, I’m most passionate about eliminating racial disparities within the child welfare system through training future social workers to dig deep within their own identities, encourage them to heal parts of them that could negatively impact their practice as a social worker, and help facilitate hope & joy internally as they navigate through a very challenging and traumatic field such as child welfare.

My professional and personal passions are not much different. Family and healing are what are most important to me in general which is one motivating factor for me choosing child welfare as a career field. As a Black woman who recognizes the number of disparities that my racial community face, it has always been important to me to serve my community through increasing healing, facilitating equity, and eliminating disparities (social services, health, and education).

Some of my hobbies include visual journaling, nature and food photography, and funny enough, process/strategic planning. Outside of work, I truly enjoy hanging out with my husband Jeff and our baby boy JayII and our extended family/framily (friends that are like family). Prior to the pandemic, traveling was something that I enjoyed and valued very much for my well-being. I also enjoy baking, being around water, and having meaningful conversations that lead to transformation.

Overall, I’m a pretty kind person. People who know me say that I am warm, empathic, and sweet. I’m outgoing, though I am a big introvert. I’m really excited to support students as they journey through their graduate program and beyond.