Growing up in the village of Sheffield Mills in the Annapolis Valley, surrounded by neighbours with apple orchards and chicken farms, Social Work student Maya Fry always felt like she belonged. Â
“It’s a lovely community. It was a special place to grow up,” she says. Sheffield Mills is known for its farms, but perhaps even better known for having one of the largest bald eagle populations in North America. Maya has good memories of helping out in the Sheffield Mills community centre, cooking pancakes for the 2,000 visitors who attend the village’s annual mid-winter Eagle Watch Weekend.
Now at Dal in her final year of her Bachelor of Social Work degree, Maya is involved in a new community outreach project, this time through the school’s social work clinic in Halifax’s North End. The unique clinic connects social work students and clients who need help with day-to-day living. The Community Clinic is set up on a similar model to Dalhousie’s Legal Aid clinic, but rather than advocate on legal issues, the social work students are helping clients access employment and health services.
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A passion for people
“Working at the clinic has been the most valuable learning experience I’ve had in school,” says Maya. “Before this, I didn’t know how the social assistance system worked in Nova Scotia. I didn’t know about Disability or Income Assistance (programs), so it’s really opened my eyes.”
Maya has an arts degree from Dalhousie, in English and Environment and Sustainability. She chose to switch to Social Work after an experience as a new parent support volunteer with the IWK Health Centre. “It was wonderful, I felt like I was needed, and it was good to meet people in the community. I realized I’m interested in social justice and my passion lies with working with people.”
Since September Maya has been spending 24 hours a week at the North End clinic — and will soon finish her 700-hour community placement. Maya has five clients on her caseload, which she manages under supervision.
“It’s wonderful to take what we are learning in the classroom and put it into practice. Sometimes it can be emotionally challenging but for the most part it’s rewarding. We have a lot of clients who are really thankful for what we are doing. One client recently told me I was the first person they had ever talked to about a significant event in their lives. That was very powerful for me. We build relationships and trust and great things can happen out of that.”
Maya is looking forward to graduating in May. On the horizon is graduate school for social work and, Maya knows, a career in the field.
“I want to be a social worker, probably at the community level. Before working at the clinic, I wasn’t sure how my varied interests would fit professionally. But I’ve learned I have strengths here, and that this is the right profession for me.”