By Haley Tenore

Briany Cruz originally had no plans to return to Virginia Commonwealth University after earning her bachelor’s degree in social work in 2023. But in spending time serving communities near her hometown, she returned with renewed desire to create change.

Cruz, who this month earned her master’s in social work, initially was drawn to the field to explore the causes of inequality and use the tools given to her to analyze systems critically and start changing them. She envisions working in the realms of affordable housing and policy, and her recent experience has given her fresh insight.

With a minor in political science as well as her own cultural background, Cruz brings a commitment to engaging with stakeholders and building trust with communities that often are underserved and facing limited resources.

“Spanish-speaking social workers not only help eliminate those barriers but also bring cultural insight that fosters stronger, more respectful relationships with clients,” she said. “When people see themselves reflected in those helping them, it builds trust and makes services more accessible, equitable and impactful.”

Not far from her Northern Virginia hometown of Woodbridge, Cruz spent the year before graduate school working with the Lorton Community Action Center. It provides seniors and low-income families with food, clothing, programming and emergency funding, and she assisted more than 300 families in the Fairfax County area and initiated their vehicle repair assistance program. But she also realized the need closer to home.

“I would get calls for assistance and realize the calls were so close, yet so far – in terms of service areas that I could assist,” Cruz said. “I began to realize and tally that most of the calls for help were from back home, Woodbridge, and there wasn’t anything I could do.”

In Prince William County, the area of Woodbridge where Cruz grew up, the Route 1 corridor and Marumsco, has a majority Hispanic and Black population and a prevalence of low-income families.

“One of the biggest turning points for me in deciding to go back to school was when I was sitting at a Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance lunch and learn,” she said. “I saw my community being represented as an island of disadvantage, and it hurt me.”

Those data points, which gave new shape to the perspectives from her youth, prompted Cruz to return to VCU for her master’s so that she could better serve her community and potentially bring some things back.

“I saw many families, including mine, work long hours and make countless sacrifices to provide stability and opportunity for the next generation,” she said. “My community has always been rich in resilience, mutual support and pride in our cultural roots, even in the face of economic hardship. These experiences taught me that success isn’t just about individual efforts – it’s about lifting one another, staying grounded in your values and never taking opportunities for granted.”

Cruz’s service mindset extended to her roles at VCU. As a research assistant at the Humanities Research Center, she worked on the Migration Studies Lab, and her work with the Latino Virginia oral history project reflected how bilingualism and research can make social services more accessible and culturally responsive.

Her commitment has been noticed. This year, Cruz received the School of Social Work’s Student Field Impact Award, which recognizes student accomplishment outside the classroom. She also received the Social Justice Award.

Social work professors Kimberly Compton, Ph.D., and Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., praised Cruz for her hard work and community service.

“Her leadership was recognized beyond the classroom when she was asked to step in as a facilitator in a primarily Spanish-speaking community in the South Side of Richmond,” they wrote in nominating Cruz for an award. “While language was an important factor, Briany’s cultural knowledge and lived experience allowed her to engage in ways that deepened connection and trust beyond just language. She fostered new relationships, built bridges across different interest groups and helped create moments of shared understanding and empathy.”

Those efforts showing her commitment included developing a curriculum and facilitating a youth workforce development certificate course at VCU for the 2024-2025 school year for young people transitioning out of homelessness, supporting the development of the National Youth Homelessness Partnership at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, and supporting local initiatives to create affordable housing for Latino families in Richmond.

Cruz said those priorities will continue to guide her. Now with her master’s, Cruz wants to continue to work in housing or policy analysis for several years – and then may consider pursuing a Ph.D. or working in housing law, to make affordable housing a reality for Virginians.