Elizabeth McCarthy

Elizabeth McCarthy ’24 took a leap of faith to pursue her education at Winthrop University – or technically, a bridge.

The Rock Hill resident earned her Master of Social Work degree on May 9, continuing along the path she started when she enrolled in the Bridge Program in 2022 to work toward her bachelor’s degree. The program, an agreement between Winthrop and York Technical College, allows students to complete two years of an associate’s degree at York Tech before seamlessly transferring to Winthrop to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“I was drawn to the Bridge Program for the accessibility and financial benefit of it,” she said. “It saved me a lot more money to go to the tech school first to get more of my general education credits out of the way before bridging over to complete my major courses. In addition to this, it also provided further financial benefits as I got more financial aid/scholarship by doing the program.”

“The transition was easy as I did not have to worry about providing tons of documentation to transfer as the program staff assisted greatly with getting my courses to transfer,” she added.

As a result, McCarthy was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) honor societies. She also pursued undergraduate research, presenting her work, “Examining Ways to Address Housing Problems for Low-Income Seniors,” at Winthrop’s Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE).

But the biggest benefit? The life-long friendships she’s forged.

“Being a part of a cohort for the Bridge Program and York Technical College Presidential Scholars Program allowed me to meet friends more easily and keep them while at Winthrop. A fond memory I have at Winthrop is going to class and then going to hang out with my friends at a local restaurant near campus.”

Many of McCarthy’s professors, particularly Associate Professor of Social Work Monique Constance-Huggins, pushed her out of her comfort zone: “[She] encouraged me to become president of the Social Work Club, and Associate Professor of Social Work Sara English pushed me to present my independent research.”

McCarthy earned her B.S.W. in social work from Winthrop in 2024 and then began pursuing her M.S.W.

“Growing up, I was always passionate about helping others,” she said, which drew her to the social work field. “This grew as I witnessed different social justice issues relating to my grandparents and friends. I am also a daughter of a Marine Corps veteran, which gave me the passion to work with the veteran population.”

Next up: McCarthy just passed the licensed master social worker (LMSW) test in South Carolina and hopes to complete the test for North Carolina. “I hope to work in the mezzo (community) space with the older adult population and/or veteran population,” McCarthy said.

Fun fact: Christina McCarthy ’22, Elizabeth’s sister, also earned her B.S.W. from Winthrop and is also pursuing an M.S.W. here!