Celebrating the JCLP’s graduating cohort
By Morgan Hesse
As the school year comes to a close for U-M’s School of Social Work, the Jewish Communal Leadership Program (JCLP) wants to recognize their seven graduating MSW students. The JCLP class of 2026 hails from around the country with interests spanning the entirety of the field of social work, yet they all share a common passion and respect for Jewish communal work. This year, they have been role models to the first-year cohort in their weekly professional development seminar, taken on organizational positions in community- and campus-wide events, and become true leaders both in and outside of their MSW classes. The JCLP is proud of what these students have accomplished and confident that they will go on to be thoughtful, change-making members and leaders of their communities.
Born and raised near San Francisco, Allie Economou graduated from the University of California and then relocated to New Orleans where she worked as an Immigration Paralegal and as an educator in the Jefferson Parish school district. Passionate about mental health awareness and health promotion, Allie is now exploring the intersection of Judaism and social justice through the JCLP. She also writes and performs her own music which explores themes of identity, intimacy, and expectation with philosophical curiosity. After graduation, Allie will be going on to work in private practice as a therapist and will be finding a way to interweave her musical interests with her interest in helping people find meaning and deep fulfillment in their lives.
Natalie Fenwick grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was very involved in the small Jewish Community. She attended Brandeis University and graduated in 2021. After graduating with a BA in Sociology, Natalie worked at Big Sister Association of Greater Boston as a Match Support Specialist and Program Manager. She is pursuing the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway in the MSW program and she hopes to find a career that involves sexual health and sex education. Natalie currently has a job at SAPAC (the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center) on U-M’s campus and is learning a lot. In her free time Natalie enjoys reading, thrifting, and spending time outside.
Jordyn Lash was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and completed the Ross Cappo Sales Track. Jordyn is pursuing the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway while also completing the Certificate of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She hopes to use her degree to become a therapist. Being part of a cohort of Jewish social workers through the JCLP has allowed her to reflect on how Judaism has guided her to this profession and shapes her approach as a therapist. Outside of work and school, Jordyn enjoys spending time with family and friends, going on long walks, traveling, and visiting art fairs and farmers’ markets.
Haley Mozen was born and raised in the Jewish community of Metro Detroit. In 2024, she graduated with honors from the University of Michigan and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Crime and Justice. Post-graduation, Haley began working as a psychometrician for the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine. Haley is now pursuing the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway and aspires to be a clinical psychotherapist for children and adolescents. She is particularly interested in working with challenges such as anxiety, depression, disordered eating, food allergies, and trauma.
Sam Tick-Raker was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He graduated in 2019 from the University of California, Davis, with a major in Psychology and a minor in History. Before beginning his MSW, Sam was employed by Seneca Family of Agencies as a Mental Health Counselor in a middle school and high school in Berkeley, working with students who have emotional and behavioral challenges. Sam is pursuing the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Pathway, and the JCLP holds extra meaning for him: his mother was a member of the JCLP in one of the program’s earlier iterations, and he loves being able to continue her legacy. Moving forward in his career, Sam hopes to work to bring more young men into therapeutic spaces. Outside of school, Sam enjoys hiking, camping, playing tennis and basketball, and cooking!
Rebecca Rich was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, and moved to West Bloomfield, Michigan, in 2019. She graduated from Brandeis University in 2022, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies with a minor in Arabic Language, Literature, and Culture. Rebecca is excited to be earning her Master’s in Social Work via the Community Change pathway and hopes to use this degree to create and foster meaningful intercultural spaces within and beyond the Jewish community, making sure there is room for everyone at the table. The JCLP has inspired her to approach working in the Jewish world from a people-first perspective and to prioritize fostering diversity and inclusion in Jewish spaces. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, spending time in nature, watching TV and movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family.
Izzy Slesnick was born and raised in Ohio. Izzy wanted something different for her undergraduate years and decided to study at Michigan State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a minor in Youth and Society in December of 2023. Izzy is pursuing the Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway and has interests in working with children and families in nonprofit and hospital settings. She hopes to secure a job as a behavioral health clinician in that realm upon graduating this May. The JCLP has impacted her future goals by showing her how to bring her values to the table and create meaningful dialogue with communal leaders around current events. Outside of school, Izzy enjoys hiking, playing pickleball, and spending time with friends and family.
As these students enter the next phase of their lives and continue on their social work career paths, they remain connected to the JCLP through its vast alumni network. From mentoring future cohort members to attending alumni seminars, these young professionals have many ways to keep engaging with the JCLP.
In the spirit of celebrating the accomplishments and promising futures of the Jewish Communal Leadership Program Class of 2026, community members are invited to attend JCLP’s annual Graduation Ceremony on May 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at U-M’s School of Social Work. All are welcome and a dairy Zingerman’s brunch will be served. Find further details and RSVP at https://myumi.ch/bVe9k.
