DeSales Community Development

🎉 Congratulations to DeSales' Community Services Coordination team! 🎉

Both 2025-2026 MSW practicum students, Alejandra Ahern and Hannah Jumper, and their supervisor Mariah Byrne Sullivan were celebrated at this year's WashU Brown School Excellence Awards.

Alejandra was given the Dr. Clara Louise Meyers Outstanding MSW Practicum Education Award, which recognized her spirit of the social work values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the individual, importance and centrality of human relationships, integrity, and competence as a Domestic Social and Economic Development MSW student.

Hannah received the Eddie Lawlor Activism Award, an honor given to a graduating student who has been consistent in their commitment to social justice through consistent, dedicated leadership.

And Mariah won an Excellence in Practicum Education Award for going above and beyond in creating a meaningful, inclusive, and impactful learning environment that prepares students for professional success.

Your work makes a difference every day. 💙

Travia Howard’s journey is a reminder of the power of support and determination.

Since 2021, Travia has been a Fox Grove Management resident while working full-time as a culinary supervisor. When unexpected unemployment led to rental debt, she worked with DeSales’ Community Services Coordination team to regain her stability. In April 2025, she used the City of St. Louis Emergency Rental Assistance program to pay off her back rent, ensuring her family’s home.

Now, Travia is on a new path: enrolling in St. Joseph Housing Initiative’s Homeownership Academy this summer. And with her oldest child preparing for college, her story is one of hope, resilience, and the promise of a brighter future.

At DeSales, we believe in building foundations that last, because thriving families create thriving communities.