JTC 26: From Military Service to Social Work

OXFORD, Miss. – As Hayli Sweigart reaches up to adjust her graduation cap, it is not lost on her that not long ago, she was wearing a very different one as a member of the Mississippi Army National Guard. 

For the first-generation college student from Independence, Missouri, the path to this moment has been built step by step through service, hard work and figuring things out along the way. 

Sweigart is graduating from the University of Mississippi with a master's degree in social work and is the recipient of the 2026 School of Applied Sciences Award for Outstanding Advanced Standing MSW Student. 

“I am especially passionate about social work, public health and social epidemiology, with a strong interest in research that improves how we communicate about health to build trust and better connect with communities,” Sweigart said. 

Kristy Durkin, instructional assistant professor of social work, said she has “seen her grow into a confident and thoughtful social worker.” 

“She takes her work seriously and leads through action,” Durkin said. “She does not just talk about service; she shows up. As the graduate representative in faculty meetings, she helps bring the student voice into conversations about how we can be better instructors and mentors.” 

Sweigart began her college career at the University of Mississippi in fall 2019 and enlisted in the Mississippi Army National Guard later that semester. She served from 2019 to 2024, completing drills and training in Oxford while assigned to a unit based in Senatobia. Her training also took her to Camp McCain in Grenada. 

She earned her bachelor's in social work in August 2024 while continuing her service, an experience that continues to shape the direction of her work. 

After graduating, Sweigart accepted a position at Health Connect America in New Albany, where she had completed her internship. She worked there for a year as a community support specialist, gaining direct experience with clients and further developing her clinical skills. 

While earning her master's, she gained experience in research. She was selected for a competitive, multi-institutional fellowship with the National Institutes of Health, where she worked with large data sets to better understand how people talk about substance use, stigma and help-seeking. 

She also served as a Department of Justice Graduate Research Assistant, helping evaluate federally funded programs focused on school climate and safety. This work included interviewing school staff, students and parents to help improve school-based interventions. 

This past year, both as a graduate student and researcher, shaped her growing interest in the connection between social work and public health, especially in how we communicate about health and build trust within communities.

“In the classroom, Hayli is not afraid to reflect on what she is learning and connect it to real experiences,” Durkin said. “She is willing to share perspectives that may be different from others, and I have seen those moments lead to shifts in how her classmates are thinking.  

"That ability to engage, reflect and advocate is something that will carry with her into her work.” 

That connection between her experience and her goals is especially clear in what comes next. She landed a competitive summer clinical internship at the Memphis VA Medical Center. 

“She will be working with veterans providing assessment, support and care coordination, and her background in the Mississippi Army National Guard gives her a unique perspective when working with that population,” said Jennifer Buford, director of field education in the Department of Social Work. 

After completing her internship, she plans to move to Boston to pursue a master's degree in public health at Boston University. 

“Choosing to move to Boston is a big step for me and reflects how much I’ve grown in stepping outside of my comfort zone to pursue my goals, even when it’s scary and unknown,” Sweigart said. “I think overall, knowing that I even completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree is almost unfathomable. To be moving on to another degree feels unreal.” 

For Sweigart, the next step is not a change in direction, but a continuation of what she has already been building.  

Top: Hayli Sweigart, a social work graduate from Independence, Missouri, graduates in May as the recipient of the 2026 School of Applied Sciences Award for Outstanding Advanced Standing MSW Student. She will complete a clinical internship at the Memphis VA Medical Center before heading to Boston University to pursue a master's degree in public health. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services