SP2 alumna reflects on the enduring power of a social work education 

Seven decades after graduating from Penn’s School of Social Work, Sonia Triester, MSW’55, remains deeply connected to the School and its mission.

“Social work made me who I am,” says Sonia Triester, MSW’55, a longtime supporter of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) and a member of the Advisory Board for The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research at SP2. From working as an educator and social worker, to building a successful career in business, to supporting young people with a history of foster care through philanthropy, Sonia has taken a path that reflects the enduring impact of her social work education. 

A Baltimore native, Sonia earned undergraduate degrees in economics and sociology at Goucher College, which was then a women’s college located in downtown Baltimore. After graduating in 1948, she was offered a scholarship to the London School of Economics, but “it was such a large step,” she says. Sonia was still living at home and didn’t have the support to be able to attend. Instead, she pursued her master’s in education at Johns Hopkins University — taking her education courses through nights and summers. However, she soon realized that teaching was not the path for her and applied to work in a school as a social worker instead. 

As a school social worker, she got a glimpse into the field and the issues affecting the well-being of children. In one instance, Sonia discovered a student had been absent from school because she didn’t have any shoes to wear. Sonia brought the student to a department store and purchased her a pair. However, she says, “I quickly learned, that ain’t social work.” The experience inspired her to apply to the University of Pennsylvania to “get trained in the real thing.” 

Moving out of her parents’ house for the first time, Sonia relocated to Philadelphia to attend Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice, then called the School of Social Work. At the time, the School was located off campus at 2408-14 Pine Street in the Fitler Square neighborhood of Center City and had only been formally merged into the University of Pennsylvania a few years prior, in 1948. 

“I was charmed by Philadelphia and the School of Social Work, which was housed in a beautiful building on Pine Street with a garden,” Sonia says. During her time at the School, she was exposed to a variety of people and perspectives and experienced what she describes as a culture of “openness.” She adds, “It was a really neat experience.”

After graduation, Sonia landed a prestigious job at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, which she says was “at the forefront of social work.” She worked there for one year before moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband Stanton (Stan) Triester, a real estate lawyer and graduate of University of Pennsylvania Law School — now known as Penn Carey Law — and their one-year-old son. Stan was pursuing a graduate degree at Harvard, but the family soon moved back to Philadelphia to join Stan’s brother in taking over the family real estate business after their father’s death. 

Stan and Sonia would develop the business into the successful Triester International Company. For Sonia, this was the beginning of her decades-long career as Stan’s business partner, vice president of the company, and manager of a substantial portfolio of properties, including apartments, shopping centers, and office buildings spanning from Florida to California. 

The skills she gained at the School of Social Work were the foundation to her success as a businesswoman, giving her the confidence and self-assurance to hold her own in a male-dominated industry. “That’s how I applied my social work degree,” she says. When navigating challenges such as business negotiations, legal proceedings, and dismissive men, Sonia says, “I was not afraid. I knew myself, and I knew how to engage with people.” 

While she spent many years working in the commercial real estate business, Sonia never forgot her social work roots, and she reconnected with the School in the early 1990s. From the time that Sonia earned her degree in 1955 to the point that she revived her relationship with the School almost half a century later, the field of social work and her alma mater had changed quite a bit. “It’s so international, it’s so expanded,” she says. 

In 2007, during the tenure of former dean Dr. Richard Gelles, she became involved with The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research – an interdisciplinary child welfare center focused on child and family well-being. “That was a turning point in my life,” Sonia says. 

Sonia developed a strong partnership with Dr. Gelles, frequently collaborating on ideas to support the School and expand The Field Center’s efforts. Through their work together, she gained a new perspective on the School’s potential to advance social impact and improve child and family well-being.

Her commitment has extended to initiatives aimed at improving higher education outcomes for students with foster care experience. For example, her contributions helped advance the Field Center’s advocacy for the 2019 Fostering Independence Through Education Act, which created a tuition and fee waiver for eligible foster youth across Pennsylvania. In 2020, the Center hosted a virtual conference to provide statewide training on implementing the waiver.

In 2019, Sonia also made a gift to the Center to realize Dr. Gelles’ vision to host a National Foster Care Summit, a convening of thought leaders focused on critical reform in child welfare. Sadly, Dr. Gelles passed away before this could come to fruition. Steadfast in her support of the Field Center’s work, she redirected her gift to Caring Adults R Everywhere (C.A.R.E.) – a social support program for young adults aging out of foster care who are living in out-of-home child welfare placements.

Created by Dr. Johanna Greeson, SP2 associate professor and managing faculty director of The Field Center, C.A.R.E. is designed to support relationships between the young people and natural mentors — nonparental, caring adults in young people’s existing social networks. 

Building on the foundation of her work with Dr. Gelles, Sonia has been a strong ally to Dr. Greeson’s program. She has provided substantial support for C.A.R.E., and in her role as a board member, she consistently advocates for others to support the initiative. “She saw value in the work itself and value in supporting young people this way,” adds Dr. Greeson. “[Her generosity] has the potential to make a huge difference.”

C.A.R.E. aims to harness the enduring presence of a caring adult to combat the harmful outcomes associated with youth aging out of foster care, including homelessness, unemployment, criminal justice involvement, unplanned pregnancy, and emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems. In 2017, Dr. Greeson conducted a small pilot program with 24 foster youth. Findings highlighted the intervention’s positive impact on both the youth and their mentors, and Dr. Greeson hopes to secure funding to conduct another, more robust program.  

Sonia has championed many of The Field Center’s efforts to better support young people that are aging out of care or have a history of foster care. Adds Dr. Greeson, “It’s really nice to have someone in your corner like that…. I have such genuine respect and admiration for her and know that she really wants her philanthropy to do good.”

Ultimately, behind Sonia’s enduring relationship with SP2 is a commitment to giving back. “My intent is to be part of this community because it is meaningful and because it gave me so many opportunities,” Sonia concludes.