825 N University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Important Information
The School of Social Work Winter Commencement for Master of Social Work students will be held in person at Hill Auditorium and livestreamed on the SSW website. Hill Auditorium doors will open for guests and graduates beginning at 12 Noon.
A light reception will be held in the Michigan League Ballroom immediately following commencement.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
The SSW Commencement will be livestreamed on this page and on the front page of the U-M School of Social Work website.
Speakers
Keynote Speaker Osvaldo Rivera, MSW ’87
Osvaldo “Ozzie” Rivera was born in Puerto Rico and lived in southwest Detroit most of his life. For over five decades, he has been active in community advocacy and human services. He consults for a number of social service, community and arts organizations.
Now in retirement, Rivera has turned his focus on documenting the history of southwest Detroit’s Latino community. He writes a column for the community newspaper, El Central, and is one of the founders of VOCES: Southwest Detroit Oral History Project. He currently teaches at Wayne State University in Detroit on Afro Latino history and culture, and at the School of Social Work.
Rivera has been involved in arts and cultural activism since his teen years. Over the years, he has led a number of cultural organizations, performance troupes and bands.
Student Performer Brianna Davis
Brianna Davis was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where she’s been volunteering in education, community organizing and environmental cleanup since the age of 12. As a high schooler, she was heavily involved in her community as a Washtenaw County Youth Commissioner, and the founder of a multicultural student-led organization called Diversiteam.
In her undergraduate coursework, Davis studied teaching English to speakers of other languages, sociology, and social work, and graduated at the age of 19 due to her early college experience in high school. Her most recent professional role was as a youth program facilitator at the Neutral Zone, a teen leadership and arts center, where she was encouraged to pursue a career in social work.
She began the MSW program in the fall of 2024 in the Interpersonal Practice pathway. She is a member of the New Leaders of African-Centered Social Work program, and has pledged to increase the welfare of Black Americans in her future career. In her fieldwork at a community mental health agency in Detroit, she served clients using case-care management and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), facilitating weekly skills groups and providing individual therapy. Following graduation, she will provide home-based therapy to youth and their families impacted by the juvenile justice system in Wayne County.
Student Speaker Megan Tinerella
A first-generation college graduate, Megan Tinerella earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University, where she began shaping her commitment to service and advocacy. She gained early experience at Wellspring Lutheran Family Services, supporting efforts to reunify families and mentoring children in the foster care system. This work strengthened her dedication to supporting children in meaningful ways.
During her Master of Social Work program, Tinerella focused on policy and political social work, expanding her skills in systems-level change. She interned with the Michigan House of Representatives, where she contributed to legislative research and community-engaged policy initiatives. These experiences solidified her passion for education policy and deepened her dedication to creating equitable changes for all individuals.
Kind, understanding, and driven, Tinerella is committed to using her voice to advance meaningful reform. With long-term aspirations to run for public office and ultimately serve as governor of Michigan, she aims to combine her social work values with effective leadership to build stronger, more just communities across the state.
Commencement Program
Photos from the Ceremony
