A Dream of Supporting Young Families in New York and Abroad

After she graduates from the School of Social Work this spring, Laura Beatriz Galeano Cardozo hopes to put her degree and the knowledge she gained along the way to use by working for an organization that supports the mental health of mothers and their young children. Cardozo’s parents immigrated to the United States from Paraguay, and, although she plans to stay in New York after graduation, she also hopes to support families whose experiences reflect her own family’s story. She eventually hopes to build an organization in Paraguay to help young women and mothers access mental health support, vocational training, and basic needs. What shaped Cardozo into the aspiring social work professional she is today? Columbia News spoke with her to find out.

What drew you to social work? 

I worked for around five years for the New York City mayor’s office after graduating from college. My early career as a senior budget analyst at the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget exposed me to how policy and budgetary decisions directly shape community well-being. While working there, I also volunteered at the Port Authority Welcome Center, where I served hundreds of newly arrived asylum seekers, and that experience made me realize I wanted to work more directly with communities.

Around the same time, in May 2023, I lost a cousin to suicide, an experience that deeply impacted me and increased my awareness of the stigma surrounding mental health and the lack of accessible, supportive resources. Rather than allowing grief to bring me down, it motivated me to explore ways to address barriers to mental health care and to pursue work that promotes healing through accessible and culturally competent support for underrepresented communities in both Paraguay and New York. As I explored this path, I connected with social workers through Latinx in Social Work and the Latino Social Work Coalition, where mentors I now call my “Social Work Madrinas” helped guide me toward social work as my next step.

Long before I understood social work as a profession, its values were modeled for me by my parents through their acts of care and solidarity. On our family farm in Paraguay, we honor the memory of my late sister each Children’s Day by giving back to families in our community. “Mi casa es pequeña, pero mi corazón es grande” (“My home is small, but my heart is big”), my father would often say these words that continue to guide me and remind me of the importance of staying connected to my roots and giving back to the communities that shaped me.

What made you choose Columbia?

When choosing between schools, I created a personal vision and mission statement that reminded me of the knowledge and tools I hoped to gain during my Master of Social Work degree to help reduce mental health stigma and address disparities in underrepresented communities. Columbia stood out because of the opportunity to learn from faculty whose work directly aligned with my interests in maternal mental health and work with Latinx and immigrant communities, including Brenda Jones Harden, Carmela Alcántara, and Mashura Akilova. Given their extensive research and practice backgrounds, I was eager to take their courses and was grateful to be able to do so during my time at the School of Social Work. I also spoke with an alumna, Trina Nurse, who spoke highly of her experience at Columbia and the strong sense of community she found there, which further solidified my decision. Additionally, my fiancé, a Columbia Business School graduate, strongly supported the choice and never missed an opportunity to remind me why choosing Columbia was the “obvious” decision.

The School of Social Work requires you to complete two internships alongside your coursework. Can you describe your internships and how you chose them?

Through my first-year field placement with the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, I supported first-time mothers, many of whom were immigrants experiencing housing instability, food insecurity, and mental health-related challenges. Reflecting on that experience, I knew I wanted to continue working with mothers and their children. Many of the social workers at NFP had extensive experience working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and hearing about their work inspired me to pursue a second-year placement in a hospital setting. As I prepared to select my second-year field placement, I made it clear that I hoped to work in the NICU at my local community hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.

In my current placement, I work with mothers in the postpartum unit, primarily those whose newborns are admitted to the NICU. I conduct one-on-one psychosocial assessments, provide emotional support and supportive counseling, and collaborate with the medical team to coordinate safe discharge plans. I also support families as they transition from the hospital back into their homes by connecting them to available community resources. 

What advice would you give incoming Columbia students (across all schools)?

Two years go by incredibly quickly, so I would encourage incoming students to regularly remind themselves of what they hope to gain from their time at Columbia. There are so many opportunities available, but it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or pulled in different directions, so staying grounded in your goals can help you make the most of the experience.

I would also strongly encourage students to connect with administrators, staff, and faculty early on. As the daughter of parents who immigrated to the United States and the first in my family to attend college, there were many things I was unsure about, but building relationships with the people on campus who are there to support you made a significant difference in helping me navigate the experience with confidence.

Do you have a favorite thing to do outside of work/school, around the city? 

Given the nature of the work I do, it can take an emotional toll on me, so I make an effort to prioritize activities that help me recharge. I enjoy being part of a CrossFit gym, Three Hammers Training, as well as taking long walks through some of my favorite parts of Queens, including Gantry Plaza State Park, Astoria Park, and the 34th Avenue Open Streets.

You’re from New York. Any tips for students who are first-time New Yorkers?

I grew up in Queens, so I always encourage students who are new to New York to explore neighborhoods beyond Manhattan. One of the ways I recommend doing this is through food crawls in Jackson Heights, which has some of the best and most affordable food in the city. Some of my favorite spots include Fuska House_NYC, Lhasa Fast Food, Pollos Mario, 969 NYC Coffee, Mariscos El Submarino, Seba Seba, and El Chivito D’Oro.