Dean Melissa McCardle and Anthony Gaetani '23 
At Molloy University, students learn through a blend of classroom excellence and real-world experiences, guided closely by faculty mentors who prepare them to thrive in their careers.
Anthony Gaetani is a 2023 graduate of Molloy’s Bachelor of Social Work program and a recent recipient of Molloy's 30 Under 30 Young Alumni Award. He completed his Master's of Social Work through the Molloy-Fordham collaborative program and today serves as an inpatient psychiatric social worker at Nassau University Medical Center. He credits his Molloy education with pivotal professional development. “The program prepared me by giving me real‑life experiences and really supporting my growth as a professional,” Anthony reflects.
A significant catalyst in his journey was the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and their partnership with Molloy. The foundation provides grant funding that supports scholarships, fellowships and the Community Care Mobile Clinic, a fully equipped mobile health unit. The foundation's support enabled Molloy to purchase and outfit a custom van that brings multidisciplinary care to underserved Long Island neighborhoods. The mobile clinic travels to churches, libraries, community centers, health fairs, senior centers, and homeless shelters, offering free services such as health screenings, mental health support, speech-and-hearing checks, music therapy, educational enrichment, information and referrals—all provided by students under faculty supervision .
“I was really exposed to a variety of different needs in the community that solidified my decision to become a social worker,” Anthony said of his experience with the mobile clinic. The initiative offers Molloy students transformative hands-on experience. Social work students collaborate with students in other disciplines like nursing, clinical mental health counseling, communication disorders, education, and music therapy as they serve thousands of adults and children across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Such immersive fieldwork reinforces classroom lessons while fostering compassion and professional confidence.
Dr. Melissa McCardle, Dean of Molloy University's School of Education and Human Services, highlights the impact and explains, “Our mission is to prepare students to be competent, ethical, and compassionate professionals who transform their communities, one individual at a time. Through individualized mentorship, classroom learning, field placements, other direct practice training opportunities like the mobile clinic, we ensure they graduate ready to meet the challenges of today’s social work practice.”
Anthony affirms Dr. McCardle's sentiment. “The entire Social Work Department was fabulous in supporting me and my goals…they were really helpful throughout my entire time here,” he shares. Under their guidance and through opportunities like the Mother Cabrini Scholarship and mobile clinic experience, Molloy students face real community challenges head-on—equipping them with skills and empathy to succeed beyond graduation.
Today, Anthony is already making a difference at Nassau University Medical Center. He provides support to patients experiencing psychiatric challenges by assessing their needs, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and connecting them to community resources that promote long term stability. He views this work as a profession and a calling rooted in the beliefs that every individual deserves dignity and the opportunity to thrive. It’s easy to see why Anthony was selected for Molloy’s 30 Under 30 award.