The event featured student poster presentations, networking opportunities with alumni and industry partners
University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) Community Social Services (CSS) students experienced a day filled with inspired learning, thoughtful discourse, reflection, and networking during the program’s first Field Reflection and Readiness Day. As the academic year nears its end, students in the program caught a glimpse of the professional world and life after graduation.
Field Reflection and Readiness Day united the program community and served as a celebration of CSS and the students’ achievements throughout the semester. The first half of the day involved fourth-year CSS students presenting their poster projects to fellow students from all years of the program as part of their advanced practicum course, which summarized their experiences and lessons they learned during their field placements. The latter part of the day featured a networking event, where students heard from program alumni and professionals in the CSS field, which enlightened them about possible career paths and broadened their horizons on what they can do with their degree.
“Participating in this year’s Field Readiness and Reflection Day has taught me a great deal about how versatile the social services field is and the different pathways that are available to us future CSS graduates,” third-year CSS student Rachel Balintec said. “I learned to be more open to the possibilities of what the field has to offer, expose myself to new experiences and environments, and to fully embrace the unknown.”
In previous years, the CSS program held a symposium that focused on a central theme in the field, such as wellness in the workplace or social justice and macro social work. But with a change in program leadership and a curriculum refresh, Dr. Olivia Boukydis, the new Chair of the CSS program, said that these changes in the program are also reflected in the event’s evolution and novel structure, using “‘readiness’ to symbolize readiness for a new chapter, a new experience, a new season.”
Poster Presentations
With fourth-year students presenting to CSS students of all years of study, the event aimed to bring together first, second, and third-year students to mix and mingle, but to also get a preview of what’s to come through placement and the corresponding capstone project.
Fourth-year CSS students who were presenting their posters in the atrium said that their placements were rewarding. Student placements are an integral part of the CSS experience to prepare students for their career, gaining an authentic working experience before graduating from university.
For Shamar Bernard, his placement at Kinark Child and Family Services confirmed his passion for working with at-risk youth and served as his first experience working in a live-in treatment centre. Bernard’s placement has also led him to a job with the organization.
“[The most rewarding part] has been being exposed to the real world, real-life scenarios. When I started out, I was thrown into it,” he explained. “Rather than a student, I was looked at like a worker.”
Elisabeth Silva shared a similar passion for her placement, where she also worked with youth, at YouthLink. Silva worked with at-risk youth to inspire them to take control of their education. She said that this opportunity exposed her to people from a variety of cultures and of different religions, expanding her cultural awareness. But the most rewarding part for Silva was when the youth she worked with began receiving university application letters because she felt like she “made an impact on their lives.”
“As field placements really are our program’s signature pedagogy, we are delighted to have created this opportunity for our fourth-year students to share their experiences,” Dr. Boukydis said.
Networking Event
Later, the networking portion of Field Reflection and Readiness Day took place, with CSS alumni and industry professionals visiting U of GH to chat with students about their experiences in the field.
Alumni in attendance included: Bhavi Ghandi (who’s working on her Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law degree at York University and works as a placement advisor at Humber Polytechnic), Jesse Dalfonso (who’s an anti-human trafficking crisis counsellor at Victim Services of Peel), and Aqsa Shaikh (who’s enrolled in law school at Toronto Metropolitan University). The industry partners present were Kinark Child and Family Services, Syl Apps Youth Centre (Ryan Cohoe and Carolyn Macleod) and Evangel Hall Mission (Tammy Morgan and Philomena Lee).
“Everyone on the panel brought forth unique and valuable perspectives and experiences specific to the populations they supported, which expanded my insight into how vast social work really is, as a future practitioner,” third-year CSS student Ginuel Ramos said, who’s an aspiring social worker – one of the many fields CSS graduates pursue “For instance, after talking with Jesse Dalfonso from Victim Services of Peel, I learned how crucial adaptability and resiliency are within the social work field, and the critical importance of collaboration between social workers and other services such as police and hospitals in providing holistic support.”
Furthermore, Balintec expressed that the networking event helped her feel “empowered” about her future in the workforce. “Networking with such inspiring individuals broadened my perspective on social services and highlighted how intentional connections can lead to both personal and professional growth, along with lasting support.”
To learn more about the CSS program at U of GH, click here.
