Meet Madeleva Award Recipient Javien L. Smith, MSW ’26

By TESS HAYES ’25 

Javien L. Smith MSW ’26 was in the middle of a military deployment working night shifts at the southern US border when he decided he would try for a master’s degree in social work. Knowing he wanted a place that was both small and rooted in faith, Smith found Saint Mary's College through a web search, combing  through the website and program offerings, and applying that very night. The next day, Smith had an email in his inbox from Dr. Fran Kominkiewicz, telling him that met all the program qualifications. “A next-day email from the department chair?” Smith remembers, “You can't beat that. That’s something you can’t put a price tag on."

That responsiveness made a real difference. Smith already had his bachelor of social work under his belt, as well as his master's in health and human services, so while looking for a third degree, he wanted a place that truly invested in its students. He'd attended an HBCU for his undergraduate degree and wanted a similar sense of community and mission; Saint Mary's checked every box.

Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA), the online MSW program at Saint Mary’s is open to women and men and designed to fit into busy schedules. This flexibility appealed to Smith.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Smith originally wanted to be a plastic surgeon, but an undergraduate biology course revealed his aversion to blood. After a few fainting spells, his professor gently suggested he reconsider. So, he decided to check out his school's social work program. After discussing his interests, the program director told him: "You don't need to see anybody else. This field is where you belong."

Smith trusted this redirection a divine providence. "It wasn't what I wanted to do," he said. "It is what God was calling me to do. So I just obey and go with the flow."

Smith’s faithful disposition has defined his career ever since. Before enrolling at Saint Mary's, Smith had worked at the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, and served as chief of staff at an HBCU, supporting institutional leadership with strategic planning and effectiveness. Going back to school would allow him to be a practitioner sharpening his skills.

Even so, Saint Mary's surprised him. The small cohort, the accessible faculty, and the financial aid advisor who walked him through how to use his GI Bill step by step—his “first time ever using it"—none of it resembled his prior experiences. Smith praises his professors and field supervisor who genuinely walked alongside their students, because "Having someone who's not only a wealth of knowledge, but walks the walk and is genuine made me really feel a connection," he said.

Smith did not move passively through the program. As the MSW Program Task Force Student Representative, he authored the first draft of the MSW program's Strategic Plan. In his field placement, he designed and implemented an Initial Intake Tracking Dashboard that improved visibility of client flow, provider activity, and monthly service trends. He graduated very proud to be a “Belle” which, he admits, initially caught him off guard.

Laughing, "I didn't know Saint Mary's was an all-girls school," Smith said. "During the first week of class, all my classmates know each other.” It was not the first time he was the only male in his class, but he called his best friend who asked him, “You know that's an all-girls college, right?” He wears the title proudly: "I can't wait to run into another Belle in Atlanta."

All while earning his various degrees, Smith has served as a U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant for five years, and earned a promotion in his second year that his commanders told him was well ahead of schedule. While deployed, his social work instincts took over as soldiers in his unit sought him out when they needed someone to talk to. He was selected to be Class President during his Advanced Individual Training, received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the Good Army Conduct Medal, and the National Defence Service Ribbon Driver for his leadership and perspective.

Smith said “As service members, we put country in front of everything else. Everything is bigger than ourselves. The same can be said about social work. Both are a part of who I am, and a part of something bigger and more important.” 

Last year, Smith launched The Good Steward LLC, a nonprofit in Atlanta that currently serves 25 individuals and families, all free of charge. The organization provides community resource navigation, youth programming, and group work with adolescents who have experienced juvenile detention. The name came from a prayer he said during the MSW program, and a promise to make better use of everything he has been given. He is also supporting a first-generation student athlete tapped for a football scholarship, helping ensure his athletic contract includes educational protections. 

"Having a space for important conversations, that also helps build brother and sisterhood, tells these kids are not in the fight alone.Sometimes, these conversations never happen. Especially for kids who were born into a society that isn't kind to them." He added, “I'm picking the battle for a better tomorrow.” 

Whatever comes next, Smith is open, willing, and able. In August 2026, he will be sitting for his LMSW therapist license exam, and plans to take his education even farther, as he is currently applying for doctoral programs in social work. His grandmother's voice guides him, as she would tell him, “Idle time is the devil's time.” 

Smith replied humbly when asked what it meant to receive the Madeleva Award, the College's highest honor for a graduate student: "Here you have a male and a triple minority. I know there were some heavy hitters who were recommended for this award, so the fact that they were able to see me is unbelievable. I am so grateful for this honor, and I’ll always be thankful for Saint Mary’s."

"I've had so many dark clouds in my life," Smith said, "but God will always put a rainbow in the sky. I've had so many rainbows. And those rainbows are the silver lining. That's what we need more of."

July 23, 2026