First of two parts.
As North Carolina’s School Social Work Month wraps up, Cumberland County public schools are celebrating two of the best of the profession.
Monica Hall, a social worker at Rockfish Elementary School, and Shannon Sykes, a social worker at Gray’s Creek and J.W. Coon elementary schools, were named the Cumberland County Schools 2023-2024 Faye Huckabee School Social Workers of the Year earlier this month, according to a news release. The award is normally only given to one person, but Sykes and Hall were both chosen “due to the number of deserving recipients,” the release said.
The women were honored at a School Social Work Month appreciation event March 14, where Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr. presented them with a District Challenge Coin. A challenge coin is a special coin bearing an organization’s logo or insignia.
Pamela Story, the school system’s social work coordinator, described Sykes as “an outstanding professional whose passion, expertise and unwavering commitment to social justice make her an invaluable asset to our entire school system.”
Of Hall, Story said, “She consistently goes above and beyond in their efforts to support students, the community, school employees and families in need.”
CityView spoke with Hall and Sykes about their love for the job, their proudest moments and what they want parents and students to know.
Today, we feature our conversation with Hall. Her answers are excerpted below and have been edited for brevity and clarity. Sykes’ Q&A will be published Tuesday.
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CITYVIEW: Can you walk me through the career path that led you to where you are today?
MONICA HALL: I graduated from UNC Greensboro in 1988. I could not find a job in my major of social work. I had to come back home to good old Fayetteville and became a teacher assistant at College Lakes Elementary School. [I later] got married to a guy in the military.
We were stationed in Hawaii. I worked for Child Protective Services and as an outreach counselor for a high school [in] substance abuse.
When we came back from Hawaii, I was looking for a job in Fayetteville … Dr. William Shipp, he was a principal at Westover [High School] for many years, and he was my principal. I graduated from Westover in 1983. He saw where I had submitted my resume trying to get a school social work position. He called me up; he was like, “I don’t have any school social worker positions, but I do have a job.” … He asked me if I would come be a teacher in the Behaviorally and Emotionally Disturbed classroom.
I only did that for one year. I left and I started working for the health department as a social worker. I … went over to [the Dept. of Social Services] here, where I worked for eight years in their treatment unit, the Child Protective Services unit.
We left here and we got stationed in Colorado. I did intensive in-home therapy, where I was with families trying to prevent them from [their] kids being taken into protective services. I then started working for DSS in Colorado.
I came back [to Fayetteville] in 2006 and tried to get my foot in the door. I was an Exceptional Children case teacher, not knowing what I was doing. I did that for a year and didn’t feel comfortable doing that … [A school social worker] said, “Hey, there are going to be some openings next year at Rockfish. You need to apply.” And there you have it. I interviewed and got hired and started at Rockfish in 2007.
And what made you want to get into social work?
I’ve lived the lives that most of these children have lived. My mother was young when she had me, so you know, young parent, single parent. Then I was raised by my grandparents; my mother at the time, she was so young, so my grandparents raised me. I lived that life. I had a “Big Sister” [in the] Big Sister program. We lived in low-income housing. So I’ve lived the life that most of these children have lived, and I have a better understanding of how they live. I just want to reach out and help.
What’s a typical day in your life like?
Every day is different. My morning duty [is] greeting the students as they come into the cafeteria. We may have some Student Services meetings [regarding] children that are below grade level. I may have attendance meetings … [or] if teachers cannot get in contact with their parents. I may have to do home visits and try to get in contact with the parents. It varies.
How did you find out that you had received this award?
[I found out] Thursday at six o’clock in the morning as I was getting ready for work. Pam Story called me. I couldn’t believe it … I was very shocked only because I feel that all school social workers work hard and all deserve being recognized.
What would you say are some of the biggest challenges parents and students are facing in Cumberland County?
One of the biggest challenges that I have seen for parents and students is not having affordable housing. There are many families that are living with family members, friends, in motels or even in their cars. Many parents are working two or three jobs in order to pay the rent. Another challenge is that there are not enough resources for families with autistic children. More resources are needed in the schools and throughout the community.
What would you want parents and students to know about what you do?
I would want parents to know that I am here for them and their children. I wear many hats. A lot of parents do not realize that there is a school social worker in the school. A school social worker is very resourceful. School social workers work closely with the school counselors.
I would want students to know that we are here for them to help keep them safe and to make them feel loved and cared for. A school social worker is here to help remove any psych-social barriers that may be standing in the way of the students achieving academic success.
What would you say has been your proudest moment as a school social worker?
My proudest moment as a school social worker is the most recent award of being selected as the Faye Huckabee School Social Worker of the Year. It is an honor to be selected. As a school social worker, I do so many things for the students and my school. I do this because of the love that I have for children and not for the recognition.
Nationally, many school systems struggle to adequately staff their schools with enough social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. Is that a challenge you’ve seen in Cumberland County, and if so, how does it impact the work you do?
There is a shortage of full-time school social workers in the schools. Many school social workers have to work part-time at two schools. It can be very challenging to do all of the assigned tasks throughout the week. I have been very fortunate that I have been full-time at my school for 15 years of [my] 16 years as a school social worker.
Are there any initiatives or upcoming projects you’ll be involved with through your work that you want to share?
I am currently working on partnering with more businesses and organizations in trying to establish a mentoring program for our students, especially the upper-grade male students. I see that this is a great need for the students who are in single-parent households.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.
This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501c3 charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.
