Ayanna Ferguson has recently joined school to coordinate our School’s contribution to the All In East Harlem initiative. In this newly created position, Ms. Ferguson will facilitate professional collaborations, partnerships and relationships between Silberman faculty and students and community organizations and coalitions throughout East Harlem. Ms. Ferguson, a licensed social worker, received her master’s degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she was a graduate assistant in the E. Franklin Frazier Center for Social Work Research, conducting research on international social issues affecting the African Diaspora. Before joining Silberman, she managed policy research on behalf of the Children’s Defense Fund while working to engage federal officials to support and strengthen federal child welfare and education policy.
Social work is all about relationships; the relationships you develop with your clients, your colleagues, and the community. Silberman taught me the value of developing those relationships. When you join the Silberman community, you gain more than just an education, you gain a lifetime of resources.