Each year, the Hartford Courant newspaper recognizes outstanding individuals for their service to the community. This year, these “Hometown Heroes” include UConn School of Social Work MSW and PhD alumni.

Tynisha Tyson ’05 MSW, is a School Social Worker in the Hartford Public Schools.  Her caseload includes children experiencing abuse, neglect, abandonment and extreme poverty. There are children wondering about their next meal, or being evicted from their home, or witnessing domestic violence, or feeling the disruption of a parent landing in prison. Tynisha is described as an anchor at Thirman L. Milner Elementary School where she has been the school social worker for the past four years.

After the death of a 3-year-old Willimantic girl from child abuse in 2013 — just two years after the child-abuse death of another 3-year-old-girl in town, Catina Caban-Owen ’09 PhD and Nussie Halpine ’92 MSW founded the Windham Task Force to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect, a volunteer group dedicated to raising awareness. Loida Reyes ’98 MSW, ’15 PhD and current MSW student Michael Marshall are also members of the task force.

Marissa Giarnella-Porco ’91 MSW and her husband Eric co-founded the Jordan Porco Foundation, a Hartford-based nonprofit that seeks to promote mental health awareness for young adults and to prevent suicide — the second leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the federal Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. In February 2011 their son died by suicide. To channel their grief, Marissa and Eric created a nationwide suicide prevention program.