About Our Student Speaker

Ayah Chehade, MSW ‘23

Ayah Chehade is a poet, community organizer and researcher based in Michigan. Born and raised in Chicago to Lebanese and Moroccan parents, she centers her work around psychology, faith and justice.

Chehade graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BA in English and international studies. Her lifelong fascination with the power of words inspired her 2018 TEDx talk, “What’s In a Name,” which explores how language shapes identity. She believes that creating social change also begins by resisting and reclaiming a deeply engrained lexicon.

She served as a creative producer for the ZAKAT Foundation of America. While on assignment in Turkey, she recognized the power of storytelling as a tool for decolonization and healing.

As an MSW student, she interned with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), where she helped develop an activities-centered group therapy program for young adults. She also interned at the Arab American National Museum, where she worked on the Cultivate & Grow oral history project to celebrate and commemorate the opening of the new heritage garden rooftop.

After graduation, Chehade plans to further her studies in Arabic and the Islamic sciences, and work to cultivate community spaces and resources centered around holistic wellness and the arts.

About Our Student Speaker

Kacey Richardson, MSW ‘23

Kacey Richardson (she/her) is a Master of Social Work candidate in the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway. She graduated summa cum laude from Western Michigan University with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies in 2020.

During her time as an MSW student, she has developed a service-centered social work practice through her experience as a counselor at the Center for the Education of Women+. She has striven to empower individuals in the University of Michigan and surrounding communities by serving as an advocate and providing resources to help them reach their academic, financial and professional potential. Through a holistic approach to her clients’ needs, she demonstrated the ability to connect them to appropriate resources, facilitate exploration of their career/educational goals, and provide encouragement to them as they embark on their professional journeys. She also served as a graduate student instructor for three terms. This allowed her to make deep connections with students and faculty at U-M, find ways to best support students’ academic growth and personal well-being, and witness community organizing in action in the fight for workers’ rights.

After graduation, Richardson plans to fulfill a lifelong dream of hers to work for the Walt Disney Company before returning to Michigan to continue her advocacy work in higher education.