Meet the NASW-CA Interns

Jasmine Villalta
My name is Jasmine Villalta and I am a new summer intern at the NASW California Chapter. I am a second-year MSW student at California State University, Fullerton with a concentration in community mental health. During this past Lobby Days in April, I asked my advisor about political social work placements for the following year and, voilà, I’m here.

I am having an amazing experience this summer getting involved with the legislative process and learning to advocate for social workers and their clients. I have lived in Southern California my whole life, but I definitely love to travel. I attended Vanguard University and received a B.A. in psychology and intercultural studies. While at Vanguard, I was very fortunate to travel and do volunteer work in four different countries and study abroad in the Philippines. As I partnered with different NGOs and social workers overseas, I realized I want to be part of a community of professionals that serves others and that is where my MSW journey began. I truly enjoy all things macro and social justice and I am hopeful that my career path will be filled with it.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, swimming, going to concerts with my boyfriend, spending time with my family and, you guessed it, traveling. I’m excited to intern for NASW-CA chapter this summer and I look forward to my future social work endeavors.

Ashley Jones
I am Ashley Jones, and I am a new intern at the NASW California chapter. I have been here since May, and I absolutely love it here, even though I never expected to dabble in policy work.

 I am earning my MSW from the University of Southern California’s Virtual Academic Center, in mental health, with a minor in military and veteran’s services. Being a virtual student and learning online has turned out to be a fun and technologically-savvy experience.

I am originally from northern Indiana, and worked in television news after college, first for an NBC/ABC affiliate in my area, and then for a PBS affiliate. I did a lot of behind-the-scenes things, from news writing to sound work and production. I realized after a few years of this that I was disenchanted by the sensationalism that news and television currently rely on, and decided to change careers after moving to California in 2010. I wanted to have a career that makes a difference and allowed me to feel fulfilled.

A former military spouse, attending school online enabled me to stay put in Marysville, California, while my husband worked at Beale Air Force Base. I originally wanted to practice social work with disabled clients (being a woman with Cerebral Palsy), but since joining the NASW as an intern, I am now seeing “both sides of the fence” so to speak, in terms of micro, and now macro, social work. I am currently unsure of what I plan to do after graduation in December of this year, but the sky is the limit!

 In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two dogs, studying social justice issues and playing video games. I am excited to be a part of NASW and look forward to continuing to help individuals in this great state of ours.