Interested in studying social work? Learn more about the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at UQ and make a difference in the lives of others.
Some might say I went down a rather unusual route to studying social work.
Whilst I had always loved people and wanted my career to involve improving the wellbeing of others, my first instinct was to achieve this by becoming a psychologist.
Nevertheless, when someone in high school kindly pointed out that I like to argue, I thought to myself why not become a lawyer instead?
So 17-year-old me decided this was a great idea and off to Law School I went. In 2013 I graduated, and five years later I would find myself back at university, doing something completely different.
I worked for a few years in financial services firms but quickly realised that something was missing. My desire to work with people and help those at risk had not been satisfied. I had dreamed of being a family lawyer and helping women who were vulnerable and needed support. It wasn’t until I stopped and spent some time deeply considering my values that I realised I wanted to help people in a more holistic sense.
My mother’s friend had been a social worker and she suggested that perhaps social work was the career I was looking for. A career that focuses on the inherent worth of all people and that relies heavily on the power of positive, interpersonal relationships.
I spent some time researching what a social worker did and pretty quickly decided that this was the path for me. It encompassed the psychology I loved, included aspects of the law and provided an opportunity for me to work closely with people to achieve a common objective.
Social work considers the life of an individual in context. It does not place someone in a box; it does not belittle them or demean their choices. It aims to address the challenges and barriers in society that make it difficult for an individual to be empowered.
Social work values all people and the Master of Social Work Studies at The University of Queensland has provided me with the opportunity to help spread this message.
Study at UQ
Find out more about the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at UQ.