Social work pulls together all aspects of my personal life, my academic interests, and my desire to work toward making the world a better place,” says Joan Fisch. Her career as a clinical social worker grew out of her deep interest in how individuals are influenced by their experiences in their families and by social and political forces. As a child, she saw her parents receiving financial and emotional support from extended family and friends. As they were able, they provided similar support to others. She also heard about and observed their involvement in activities and organizations that promoted social justice.
While this activism, connection and caring in her community laid the foundation for her to grow, a pivotal moment in Joan’s journey came when she first heard about the Holocaust at age twelve as she read The Diary of Anne Frank. She can still remember her earthshaking thought, “If I had lived there or the Germans had come here, that would have happened to me! That my father is not Jewish would have made no difference.” This awareness affected her deeply. She credits this emotionally powerful experience as a major influence in her finding her way into social work, a profession that shares a commitment to social justice with Jewish values of repairing the world.
Fisch’s desire to create a scholarship fund grew out of her appreciation for the financial help she received in college and graduate school. As an undergraduate student, she received a tuition scholarship. Her parents paid for her room and board, and she worked in the library for spending money.
Fisch attended Michigan State University for her undergraduate degree where she majored in sociology. She continued her studies as a doctoral student in sociology at the University of Michigan. Early in her first semester she realized that studying groups of people and doing quantitative research was not for her. The following semester, she enrolled in the social casework program at the School of Social Work and graduated with her Master of Social Work degree in 1967. The strong foundation she received at Michigan State and then at the University of Michigan has served her well in her work at social agencies, in private practice and in community service.
During her time at the School, Joan received a National Institute of Health grant that paid her tuition and living expenses. In exchange she had an obligation to work for two years in the field of corrections. “I feel so fortunate to have had this support,” she says. “I wish that there were still programs like this so that more social work students could graduate without debt.”
Joan and her husband Allan Fisch, BS ’65 made their first donation to the SSW Annual Fund in 1985. They have been donating regularly since then, increasing their contributions when they were able. In 2011 they supported the commission of the cantata by Bruce Adolphe, “Reach Out, Raise Hope, Change Society” in celebration of the School’s 90th anniversary.
They had originally planned to have a scholarship fund established as part of a legacy gift, but they realized that they had the means to fund a scholarship during their lifetime. Establishing the Joan Fisch, MSW ’67 Scholarship now increases support for students and gives them the opportunity to enjoy seeing the benefits during their lifetime.
They believe that all contributions — large or small — make a difference. They would like to see people encouraged to give what they are able and to have all contributions acknowledged without mention of the amount of the gift. “Many people who make smaller gifts are giving a larger percentage of their assets,” she notes. “That matters!”
Fisch has a long history of seeing people support each other. She believes that caring for and being cared for by others is essential. She carries with her tremendous gratitude for all of those who have helped her along the way. “Nothing is done on our own,” she says. “There is no such thing as a self-made person.”
