How the AHH Certificate Program Prepared This Graduate for Her Master of Social Work

A continuing education certificate program like IHAC’s Animals and Human Health (AHH) certificate can be a useful steppingstone before committing to a graduate degree program. It is designed to be completed online and is a flexible option for full-time workers or students. 

Sarah Szuchman completed the AHH certificate in early 2025 prior to starting her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work. Sarah has had a lifelong passion for animals and the AHH certificate helped Sarah to see what could be possible with human-animal interactions in a professional setting—the curriculum of the Animals and Human Health program includes lectures and learning materials from professionals that incorporate human-animal interactions in a variety of fields such as occupational therapy, veterinary work, social work, school-based counseling, and more. 

She shared, “I highly recommend the Animals and Human Health program to other students who are in my situation. The program gave me a head start before starting my Master of Social Work and helped me narrow down my focus to the field I love.”

In addition to being an IHACPro alum, Sarah has elected to join the Institute for Human-Animal Connection’s research team as one of our foundation-year MSW interns. With training and mentorship from IHAC’s full-time research staff, Sarah will be concentrating on our research that focuses on the effects of service dogs on PTSD in military veterans, the Green Chimneys research portfolio, and investigating the benefits of trauma-informed research.  

Sarah is already familiar with Green Chimneys and their work. In the Animals and Human Health program, students are encouraged to connect with other people or organizations involved in human-animal interactions. For Sarah, this assignment was an incredible inspiration for what could be possible down the line.

“My favorite experience in the program was one of the interview assignments. I was able to visit Green Chimneys, which has become an inspiration for me.”

With a background in daycare settings, Sarah is passionate about providing individualized support to children with mental health challenges and developmental differences. She is also interested in training service dogs for children with autism and mental health needs, believing strongly in the healing qualities that can arise from the human-animal bond. 

Outside of school and work, Sarah enjoys photography, hiking, spending time at the beach, playing with her pets, and attending sports games. She is excited to continue exploring the many realms of human-animal interactions in social work.