AAMU MSW Student Breaks New Ground with Innovative Internship

This summer, Alabama A&M University Master of Social Work (MSW) student Rebecca Querin is pioneering more than just her own professional path – she’s blazing a trail for future Bulldogs. As the first AAMU intern placed at Consumers Unlimited, a newly partnered nonprofit specializing in financial education and empowerment, Querin is redefining what social work can look like in underserved communities.

A native of Franconville, France, Querin is facilitating the organization’s Financial Wellness Program while completing her advanced-standing internship. The experience has allowed her to merge two seemingly different fields – finance and mental health – into a powerful form of service.

“I’m helping people heal their relationship with money,” she says. “Financial stress is often rooted in trauma and shame. If we can help people reframe those beliefs, we can give them back their confidence and their power.”

Consumers Unlimited, formerly known as Credit 1 USA, transitioned to nonprofit status in 2022 to focus on financial wellness, credit education, and economic mobility, particularly for communities that have historically lacked access to those resources. Though the organization, based in Huntsville, Alabama, is new to field education, Querin’s presence has already left a strong impression.

In just a few weeks, she revamped client handouts to improve accessibility, contributed to the development of new curriculum materials, and delivered a presentation at a statewide conference in Birmingham – all while meeting one-on-one with clients to support both their financial literacy and emotional well-being.

Dr. Cassandra L. Scott, Assistant Professor and Interim Coordinator of the Ph.D. Program in Social Work, helped spearhead the partnership and serves as a field instructor. A certified financial social worker herself, Scott sees this internship as part of a larger mission.

“I’m proud to have contributed to launching this innovative internship,” says Scott. “As a certified financial social worker, my goal is to expand the number of practitioners integrating financial social work into their practice. In my experience, families in need of social work services often face financial challenges and trauma that must be addressed to achieve lasting, systemic change in marginalized and low-income communities.”

Querin’s road to Alabama A&M was driven by both purpose and practicality. After earning her undergraduate degree from Oakwood University, she sought a graduate program that could offer both academic rigor and a supportive cultural environment.

“I chose AAMU because I wanted to study in a space that values community and excellence,” said Querin. “It was also the only school offering an Advanced Standing MSW program close to my current housing. The tuition was affordable, and honestly, it just made sense.”

Originally, she hadn’t planned to enroll in classes this summer. But when her schedule changed unexpectedly, she leaned on faculty support to find a flexible internship – eventually landing at Consumers Unlimited thanks to Professor Willie Diggs.

“I was surprised at first – it wasn’t what I envisioned since my concentration is in Child Welfare and Families,” she admits. “But I stayed open-minded and ended up learning something completely new. Now, I can see how this fits into my larger goal of helping families thrive.”

That goal – to improve the lives of children and families through counseling – remains at the center of her work. Querin sees financial wellness as just one piece of the broader healing process. In her sessions, she guides clients through budgets, helps them understand credit systems, and encourages them to explore how their earliest experiences with money still shape their behaviors.

“My favorite part has been the client sessions,” she says. “It’s almost like therapy. I get to apply my social work training in a very real, very human way.”

Querin will complete her internship later this month and graduate in December. Though she didn’t set out to become a pioneer, her success at Consumers Unlimited has laid the foundation for future MSW students – and for a deeper partnership between the organization and Alabama A&M.

 “Being part of this experience showed me that no matter the setting, the heart of social work is about walking alongside people,” Querin says. “It’s about listening, empowering, and reminding them they’re not alone in their journey.”