NASW-TN President of the Board Keith Ekhator, left, stands with Social Work Day on the Hill policy presentation award winners Alexia Carroll, Justine Hernandez and Tyler Parrott. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bethany Womack.
For the fourth consecutive year, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga social work students took home top honors at Social Work Day on the Hill, winning a statewide policy presentation competition at the State Capitol on Wednesday, March 25.
Organized by the Tennessee chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Day on the Hill brought together students from 11 universities across Tennessee, giving future social workers a firsthand look at the legislative process and the role advocacy plays in their field.
Bachelor of Social Work seniors Justine Hernandez, Tyler Parrott and Alexia Carroll earned the policy presentation award after speaking on legislation they said would harm undocumented K-12 students by allowing local education agencies to deny enrollment or charge tuition.
Their presentation in the Tennessee House chambers came before a crowd of state legislators and more than 300 social work students and faculty.
The trio didn’t even know they would be delivering that presentation until 9 p.m. the night before.
“It was the funniest thing,” said Hernandez, who is graduating in May with degrees in social work and business entrepreneurship. She plans to begin the Master of Social Work program at UTC this summer. “We were like, ‘Oh my gosh. What?’ So thank goodness we already had our script and everything printed out.”
For Hernandez, a California native who moved to Chattanooga six years ago, the event reinforced the kind of social work she wants to practice.
“I’m more of a macro social worker,” she said. “So how are things impacting people on an individual level, but what are the systems that are holding up those discrepancies?
“Knowing how to advocate is very important.”
Parrott, a graduate of Grace Academy in Chattanooga, said the chance to present inside the House chambers made the experience feel both daunting and rewarding.
“It was surreal, for sure,” he said. “But honestly, all three of us were in the zone and locked in. We were really professional. I think we presented very well and we communicated our ideas pretty accurately and clearly.”
Carroll said the experience pushed her outside her comfort zone while reinforcing why advocacy is central to the profession.
“I’m not great with public speaking, but it was a really nice opportunity,” said Carroll, a native of North Carolina. “I think it’s very important to advocate for others who can’t always do it for themselves.
“Policies are put in place to make changes, and the changes are not always for the better. We have issues of inequality, housing instability and health disparities, and backing policies that will support vulnerable populations is really important in social work.”
UTC Bachelor and Master of Social Work students met with Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson, center, in his office at the State Capitol. Photo courtesy of Dr. Amy Doolittle.
Associate Professor Bethany Womack said the day combined recognition with direct engagement for UTC’s delegation, which included 38 undergraduate and graduate students. The students attended committee meetings and met with lawmakers—including Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson, who received a bachelor’s degree in biology from UTC in 1983, and Rep. Greg Martin—to discuss issues tied to their coursework and field experiences.
Womack said UTC social work students have now won the policy presentation competition four years in a row.
“Every year our students put together presentations about bills that are going through the legislative process in the General Assembly,” Womack said. “This year, the winners got to deliver their presentation live to the Social Work Day on the Hill crowd. It was really exciting to get to see that happen in that space.”
Womack said the experience comes at an important time for students preparing to enter the field.
“I think the importance right now is advocating in hard times,” she said. “There are moments where vulnerable populations feel more vulnerable because of policy. That makes it even more important for our students to understand how to use their voices.”
Clinical Associate Professor and BSW Program Director Harlee Milligan, who received a bachelor’s degree in social work from UTC in 2017, said experiences like Social Work Day on the Hill help students better understand how policy connects to the work they plan to do.
“One of the social work competencies is about engaging in policy practice,” Milligan said. “They got to see a side of social work that not many social workers truly go into, but it informs everything that we do; policymakers and the laws affect the work that we do as social workers.
“It’s really meaningful to see how students grow through this experience. They’re building confidence, learning how to communicate with policymakers and understanding how they can make an impact.”
Parrott explained that those conversations helped put a face to a process that can often feel distant.
“You got to know them, you got to talk to them and you find that they’re very charming, very friendly people,” he said. “I think it was really important. This is how advocacy gets done, meeting people one-on-one and being part of the system as a whole.”
Hernandez said the day helped make government feel less abstract and more accessible.
“It demystifies it, too,” she said.
Carroll said that firsthand interaction stood out.
“The day was really special to me,” she said. “I’ve never experienced something like that before. Being able to go and talk to representatives who are willing to listen and hear you out—even if they might not agree with you—was really eye-opening.”
For Womack, that kind of experience matters because it shows students that policy is not separate from practice; it is part of it.
“When you can actually be there in person and see the different groups that are advocating on behalf of their profession or their clients … when you can tell a story to a legislator about a client experience that directly reflects the policies that we either have or don’t have in place for their benefit, that’s very empowering,” she said.
Learn more
UTC Bachelor and Master of Social Work students pose on the steps of the Tennessee State Capitol during the 2026 Social Work on the Hill event. Photo courtesy of Alexia Carroll.
