Alumna Debra Duardo honored for social welfare work

At age 15, Debra Duardo dropped out of high school and started working full time at a local fast food restaurant.

She didn’t plan to go back to school.

But she enrolled at UCLA more than 15 years later, marking the beginning of her career in social work.

By then she was the mother of four children. Her eldest son had spina bifida, a developmental disorder that affects the formation of the spinal cord.

She said her frequent interaction with medical professionals at such a young age compelled her to pursue a career in social work.

“The reason why I (was interested in) social work initially was (because) I thought I was going to become a medical social worker,” Duardo said. “My son had so many medical problems and he was hospitalized so much that I wanted to work at a hospital and help other families.”

Duardo was recently honored as the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs’ Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year, an annual award given to outstanding members of the alumni community, according to a nomination form for the award.

Recipients must demonstrate the drive to implement change in their communities through public, community and university service, as well as professional achievement, according to the form’s nomination criteria.

Duardo is currently the Los Angeles Unified School District’s executive director for student health and human services, a position that oversees the education of about 700,000 students.

“There (are) so many amazing social workers that come out of UCLA, and to be considered for this award, it’s definitely a huge honor,” Duardo said. “It’s not every day social workers get acknowledged for the work that we do.”

Todd Franke, the department chair for the social welfare department at Luskin, said Debra’s name was the first thing that came to his mind when someone asked him who he thought deserved the award.

He wrote a letter in support of her nomination.

“She represents all of the best parts of what the award is designed to do in terms of her community service, professional achievements and service to the university,” Franke said. “I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.”

Duardo volunteers her time to help people make progress in their lives as she has in hers, Franke added.

Soon after dropping out of high school in 1978, Duardo married her boyfriend at the time.

The birth of her son Bruce motivated Duardo to return to school.

“I didn’t understand the diagnosis or the treatment or what I needed to do for my son,” Duardo said. “That’s what inspired me to go back to school.”

She enrolled in classes at Los Angeles City College when she was 19 years old. She transferred to UCLA at age 32.

Juggling a job, raising four kids and attending community college courses proved difficult.

“Going to UCLA was quite a culture shock, initially,” Duardo said. “Coming from someone who dropped out of high school … I was competing with students from high school that were (at) the top of their class. I was terrified.”

One of Duardo’s sons, 25-year-old Brandon Sanchez said he remembers tagging along with his mother when she attended her lectures at UCLA and a family member wasn’t available to watch him and his sister.

Sanchez said his mother did a good job of keeping the family active on the weekends and encouraged him to pursue an education to achieve his own goals.

“My mom is my hero,” Sanchez said. “If I have an assignment or something I really don’t want to do, I literally just think about what she’s done at different times in her life and I can’t complain.”

After completing her undergraduate degree in women’s studies with a minor in Chicana/o studies, Duardo began a master’s program in social welfare at the Luskin School in 1994.

Immediately following her graduation from the master’s program, Duardo was offered a job with the Los Angeles Unified School District, and has worked there for nearly two decades.

Duardo oversees support services in schools within the district, which includes supervision of school nurses, social workers, counselors, medical services and partnerships.

Duardo’s job at the Los Angeles Unified School District exposed her to high dropout rates in schools throughout the United States – leading to her subsequent passion for social work in education.

“Kids that are having those kinds of problems don’t come to class and are able to forget about their problems and just focus on learning,” Duardo said. “So for me it’s really important to be able to have all kinds of services and supports for students and families that need it.”

Duardo will complete her dissertation next month.

She said she is looking forward to using the practical information she’s learned in her doctorate program to implement changes in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“(My education has) really helped me to understand how systems work and what we need to do to create change, and to advocate for all of our students,” Duardo said. “It’s good to have that education behind you to help you really feel good about what you’re doing and (know) that you’re not just moving on hunches.”