Alumni Spotlight: Nikki Bettinelli, MSW, LMSW

From BSW Grad to Governor's Office: Sacred Heart Alumna Shares How SHU Fueled Her Career

They say you should follow your passion and that’s been a winning strategy for Nikki Bettinelli ’19 MSW, LMSW. A former community advocate social worker at Greater Hartford Legal Aid who also spent time as a staff assistant in U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office, she’s now a full-time clinical social worker at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts. Nikki took time out to tell us how SHU continues to shape her life.

What does social work mean to you?

It may sound cliché, but social work means everything to me. Growing up I was always told by my family the importance of finding my passion in life, and I can say I definitely did, thanks to SHU. Every day, I feel immense pride in the work that I do, and I feel privileged that I get to be even a small part of my clients’ lives. To stand alongside my clients and witness their progress and success is indescribable. Social work may be my career, but when you love what you do as much as I do, it never quite feels like work.

How have Sacred Heart’s curriculum and teachers helped form you and your career today?

I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without the social work program and magnificent social work professors at SHU. I believe Sacred Heart’s School of Social Work is unique in that it provides a generalized approach to the profession. This means that students learn about all levels of social work and truly understand how broad the profession is and that the opportunities are limitless. The professors genuinely care about the students and their success. As a student and now an alum, I know that my professors are always available to advise and support me and continue to root for me and my success. It is because of my education and my professors’ support that I have been able to practice social work in a legal aid setting, a hospital and a United States Senate office.