Anna Marhefka ’14

Alumni Achievement Award: Academic Excellence

Anna Marhefka ’14

In 2018, Anna was named the Edinboro (Pennsylvania) University Social Work Student of the Year. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Edinboro, and immediately went on to pursue a master’s degree in social work, completing the degree with a flawless academic record in 2019. She is now a functional family therapist at Family Services of Northwest Pennsylvania. Functional family therapy is an evidence-based, intensive home-based therapy program that works with the entire family unit. She was scheduled to sit for her licensure exam on March 17 to become a master’s-level Licensed Social Worker in the state of Pennsylvania.

While an undergraduate, Anna completed a 450-hour senior year internship with McKinley Elementary Community School as a behavior support school social worker. In addition, she was president of Phi Alpha Honor Society, president of the Social Work Club, and a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. She is a proud alumna of the Tam-O-Shanter’s Dance Team and the Spirit of the Scots Marching Band.

During graduate school, she was inducted into Alpha Epsilon Lambda, the national graduate student honor society, completed a 550-hour internship with Family Services of North Western Pennsylvania in the Student Attendance Improvement Program, and worked as a graduate assistant.

In addition to her academic pursuits during her undergraduate and graduate programs, Anna volunteered with MHS Admission Counselor Deb Turnpaugh at MHS Family Nights in Erie, where she talked about her MHS experience with prospective students and families.