Awards
The Alumni Excellence Award recognizes alumni who have made exceptional contributions to social work through a distinguished career in their field of practice and who personify the principles and values of the profession.
- The Emerging Leader Award recognizes recent alumni who are already making exceptional contributions to social work and who personify the principles and values of the profession.
- Recipients must have earned a degree from the College of Social Work within the last 10 years.
The Military Service Award recognizes alumni who are/were military affiliated and continue to serve others through their commitment to the social work profession.
Change Maker Award recognizes individuals (alumnae or non-alumnae) who demonstrate excellence in service, leadership, advocacy and professional accomplishment. Awardees are chosen at the discretion of the dean. This award will be given in years when an appropriate individual is identified.
Award Winners - 2026
Amy Holbert, LISW-CP
Amy Holbert is a graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Social Work and a respected leader in child and family systems across the state. With more than three decades of experience spanning healthcare, education, and community-based services, she currently serves as CEO of South Carolina’s Parent Training and Information Center. Through her leadership, families of children with disabilities gain the knowledge and confidence to engage meaningfully in decisions that shape their children’s futures. Her career reflects the College of Social Work’s dedication to ethical leadership, social justice, and creating lasting impact for South Carolina’s families and communities
Elizabeth Balog, LMSW
Elizabeth Balog, LMSW, earned her MSW from the College of Social Work in 2020 and began her career as a Multidimensional Family Therapist with Lexington County Community Mental Health Center. She currently serves as a School Social Worker for Lexington Richland School District Five and works as an Adjunct Professor for Columbia College’s Trauma Informed Education Program, where she teaches Mental Health Informed Practice in Education to graduate students. Elizabeth is actively involved in service through roles with the School District Five Foundation, the South Carolina Association of School Social Workers, and as a field instructor for University of South Carolina MSW students. A strong believer in the power of community, her work centers on building relationships and fostering innovative community partnerships to support student and family needs.
TJ Rumler, LISW-CP
In his career as a social worker, he has served fellow Veterans with the Department of Veterans Affairs. At Project Care, he served individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and individuals with HIV/AIDS. At Prisma Health, he worked with children struggling with behavioral and mental illness. He also spent over seven years with Greenville County Schools, serving most of that time as the district’s Trauma-Informed Specialist. TJ directed the Student DREAMers Alliance youth development program with the Hispanic Alliance. He currently serves as a Clinical Therapist for Prisma Health, where he helped create (and now helps to lead) Greenville’s first Adolescent Day Treatment Program. He also owns a Trauma-Informed Consulting Firm through which he provides telehealth psychotherapy and customized trainings and workshops for organizations and schools.
Nomination Process
The following materials are required for a nomination to be considered:
- Nominator name and contact information
- Nominee name and contact information
- Nominee’s current vita or resume
- Endorsement statement (to include detailed information about the nominee and why they would be a deserving recipient)
- Recipients may not receive the same award multiple times.
- Recipients must meet the eligibility criteria of their specific award.
- Recipients must participate in the recognition event in person unless exceptional circumstances prevent such participation.
- CoSW reserves the right to name recipients for all or only a selection of the awards each year.
- Only information submitted as part of a nomination will be considered; additional independent research regarding nominees will not occur.
- Incomplete nominations will not be accepted.