July 16, 2025
As an undergraduate, Freddie Avant, MSW ’82, mentored disadvantaged kids and realized social work was his calling.
“I wanted to be a superhero,” Avant says. “Whenever I saw kids being bullied, I wanted to fly in and help them.”
Now, as associate dean and director of the School of Social Work at Stephen F. Austin State University, he prepares students for the challenges they will face as social workers.
“It’s not possible to fix all social problems, but I show students how they can change lives in so many ways,” Avant says. He also participates in alumni panels at Mizzou, where he tells health sciences students how they can make a difference.
“Mizzou helped me turn my passion for helping others into reality,” Avant says. “The foundation of who I am is Mizzou — it’s shaped my life.”