Maria (Fernie) Cosgrove

UConn School of Social Work

I was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. I lived in Mexico until the age of fifteen and then moved back to El Paso. I attended The University of Texas at El Paso and obtained my bachelor’s degree in Social Work.

While pursuing my degree, I had the opportunity to participate in research exploring the reciprocal effects of poverty, mental health diagnosis, and health outcomes. One such opportunity involved research on the effects of childhood adversity, including low income, on health outcomes and rates of depression throughout life. This work opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of physical and mental health and social services, and led me to pursue a better understanding of social and health disparities and their effects on the lives of the people we work with.

Through my involvement in the Urban Service Track I hope to gain more insight into the connections between socio-economic status, physical health, and mental health. In addition, I hope the UST better prepares me to meet the needs of underserved populations and to advocate for necessary services in underserved settings. I believe that as a social worker, I can provide a unique frame of thought to the work done by health professionals in rural communities and, by doing so, improve health outcomes.