NORTH EAST, MD — Cecil College alumna Micaela Hankins has returned to the institution as an assistant professor of sociology and social work, where she plans to expand its social work presence and student mental-health initiatives after building her academic career from three associate degrees earned there in 2016.
Hankins teaches sociology, social work, counseling and psychology, according to the college. Her plans include establishing a social work club, expanding the discipline’s presence at Cecil and continuing to develop mental-health initiatives for students.
Her return follows an academic path that began with associate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Psychology and General Education from Cecil College. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Services from Towson University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Salisbury University.
Hankins, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, now lives in Colora, Maryland. She said Cecil’s relatively affordable tuition gave her flexibility to change majors while determining what field she wanted to pursue.
“I changed my major so many times because I could afford to do so at Cecil,” Hankins said.
She was also the first recipient of the Robert A. Gibson Scholarship, financial support she credits with helping her pursue an education career that ultimately brought her back to the college.
Hankins said her teaching is intended to push students beyond course material by examining their environments, beliefs and abilities from different perspectives.
“The students are my favorite part of the job,” Hankins said. “I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to show students the world through a whole new lens.”
Her courses also incorporate work beyond the classroom. Students examine issues in Cecil County, connect with community organizations and develop partnerships intended to address local needs, according to the college.
Hankins’ relationship with Cecil College extends beyond her current faculty position. As a student ambassador, she was on campus during Mary Way Bolt’s transition to college president and the opening of the Engineering & Math Building.
The college also played a role in her personal life. Hankins met her husband, Daniel, another Cecil College graduate, there and had their first date while they were students.
Now on the other side of the classroom, Hankins said she wants students to recognize their ability to affect the communities around them.
“I want them to see that they can accomplish anything they set their minds on,” she said. “That they are smart, powerful, capable. That they are the spark for change.”
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