Kids’ Minds Matter: Southwest Florida Continued Education Scholarship

Hello, my name is Mackenzie Poliszuk, and I am 24 years old. First I would like start by thanking you for this opportunity and your consideration for this scholarship. I recently graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with my Bachelor’s in Social Work and I am now enrolled in the Master’s of Social Work program, at FGCU, working towards my goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My area of interest is working with children and early intervention. I chose to continue my education at FGCU as I believe this program would best support my professional aspirations to work with this population in Southwest Florida after graduating, where I have seen the need for mental health services. I began working as a nanny for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when I was 16. Once I turned 18, I obtained my Personal Care Assistant certification and became his PCA until I relocated to Florida in December of 2022. During that time I also worked as a Paraprofessional at a middle school with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. I worked closely with the school social worker who, at that time, was completing her Master’s of Social Work program. Based on conversations we had surrounding my future goals and passion for the importance of early intervention, she recommended I switch my major from counseling to social work. This path became more clear as I continued discussing my aspirations with my sister, who is a Pediatric Psych Nurse Practitioner, and pointed me towards a hospital setting. This past year I was given the opportunity to complete my internship at Charlotte Behavioral Health Care with their Family Support Team program and in the Inpatient Crisis Unit. Here I practiced patience, empathy and compassion and entered each day with the goal to support and empower individuals through life’s greatest challenges, to the best of my ability. While providing services to the children on the unit, I was also able to work with the Family Support Team to limit readmissions through continuity of care with the interdisciplinary team. That experience exposed me to the barriers and challenges families face when trying to access mental health services for their children here in Southwest Florida. Each step of my journey as only reinforced my believe that this is the path I am meant to take. Continuing my education will provide me the ability to further support this population and increase access to care. My hope is to contribute to pediatric mental health by supporting children and families and working through barriers to ensure they are receiving access to quality and effective care at a time in life that is crucial for intervention. I believe in Lee Health’s values of respect, excellence, compassion, and education with the mission to empower individuals through care and compassion. These values are ones I hold close, and if given the opportunity to learn and work with Lee Health, I believe I will gain valuable experience that will further support my professional mission and career aspirations. Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Throughout my life, people have confided in me naturally, and I am often referred to as the “therapist friend”. However, for as long as I can remember, I have lived with a mind that constantly worries and is full of sensitivity. I used to view these things as weaknesses, but they have now become the foundation of my empathy and my motivation to help others heal. Aside from my own mental health barriers, I have also watched close friends and family battle with mental health, which has led to my desire to support individuals facing societal and emotional challenges. This led me to my passion for psychology and mental health, as well as understanding human behavior. After receiving my bachelor's in Psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University in May 2025, I was unsure what path I wanted to pursue, but I knew that I wanted to help people and create an impact in the community. I currently work at a nonprofit organization in the field of youth substance use prevention, where I have gained valuable insight into the importance of early intervention and needs throughout the community. After about a year of working full-time, I realized I was ready to move forward and strive for growth, and I can see myself in a rewarding career in social work. I felt very motivated to continue my educational journey after taking a gap year, as this time allowed me to grow professionally and gain experience in the social services field before committing to a master’s degree. I want to use my personal experiences to help others navigate their own challenges with mental health and self-worth, and I believe that furthering my education at FGCU through the Master of Social Work program will give me the clinical and advocacy skills to turn empathy into effective support. My experience in my undergraduate internship at Behavior Analysis & Therapy, Inc. in Fort Myers, FL, is one of the first experiences that exposed me to the impact of social work. I had the opportunity to observe behavior analysts working directly with clients to improve child and adolescent behavior, including children in foster homes, children with autism, and adolescents with behavioral challenges. This allowed me to better understand the importance of human relationships, honesty, and trauma-informed care. In my current position as a Prevention Specialist, I have had the opportunity to address systemic issues surrounding substance use and addiction through empowering students to make healthy decisions and clear common misconceptions to decrease stigmatization. Throughout my experience, I have attended many community coalition meetings in Southwest Florida, primarily in Collier County, that have increased my awareness of community needs, many of which include education on resources. I also currently attend the Safe Kids SWFL meeting every month at Lee Health Golisano Children's Hospital, where I have learned valuable information on safety and physical and mental health awareness topics for youth of all ages. Pediatric mental health care in Southwest Florida is extremely important, especially with our high rates of youth depression and anxiety, and we need more access to mental health services in Florida overall. Since beginning my Master of Social Work program, I have been interested in doing my clinical year field experience internship at Golisano or at Lee Health in general, as I am highly motivated to work with children and/or women in a hospital social work setting. If I am unable to become an intern with Lee Health through my program, I plan on finding volunteer opportunities in the future to become comfortable with the environment and lend a helping hand wherever I can in the mental health/social work field. Post graduation, I would like to work as a medical social worker in a department with women and children, or as a mental health navigator to help individuals navigate the system of care. I believe that educating and advocating for access to care, mental health care, and behavioral warning signs is important for breaking the stigma around youth mental health. Implementing as many educational and outreach initiatives as possible on youth mental health is crucial to preventing mental and behavioral health issues in youth and teens, as well as making these resources known to the community through marketing/social media and collaborating with community partners to spread awareness.