Celebrating Faculty of Social Work Distance Delivery grads 2023
Congratulations to all 2023 graduates. Distance Delivery Bachelor of Social Work 2023 graduates share their experiences.
Emma Gatrell
The completion of my BSW program is bittersweet. While I welcome the end of trying to balance working full-time, school, practicum, and a social life, the education that I received throughout these last three years was life changing. Despite working in the social services field for 8 years before I started my BSW, I learned so much more from this program than I could have imagined. I enjoyed each and every class and took something meaningful away that will most certainly enhance my future practice.
I started this degree program to help me realize my goals of moving back to my home province and working in an inpatient acute care setting. I am excited to say that this all became a reality shortly after completing my degree requirements largely because of my journey to obtain my BSW.
I chose this career path because I want to make a difference in the world, and I whole heartedly believe this program will help me achieve that. I am very grateful for the education it provided me. Congratulations to my fellow BSW graduates!
Sima Chowdbury
A friend of mine suggested that I apply to the University of Manitoba Distance Social Work program, so that we could go to school together. 2020 was a difficult year given I had lost my mother weeks before starting, but it all turned out well in the end. I made the Dean’s List and am looking forward to graduate from school.
The highlight of the program was the library. As a disabled student, I relied on the librarians for access to many of the course readings that were not optimized for my reader. They were always able to acquire all the resources I needed, effectively reducing the stress of doing course work with a brain injury. I was also able to publish a book in 2021 Mindful Meditation https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09NF87WTB, which discusses the benefits of mindfulness through academic research studies. It’s great that the new curriculum added a mindfulness course.
Because about 30% of the program is from Alberta, I have made new friends from the program and hope our friendship will continue now that the program is complete.
Charlene Nichol
It has been an exciting journey towards earning my Bachelor of Social Work degree. I moved back to Nunavut from Manitoba in February 2020 with a set goal in mind that I was going to go back to school to finally pursue my dream of earning my B.S.W. degree.
Studying late into the night, writing papers, exams, and doing practicums, sometimes through cold and snowy blizzards, I am thrilled to now be able to say I am finally finished!
Congratulations to all the graduates of 2023!
Kaitlyn Skinner
My name is Kaitlyn Skinner (Ahola) and I am happy to announce that I have completed the Distance Delivery Social Work program through the University of Manitoba and I can now refer to myself as a Registered Social Worker in the province of Ontario. The completion of this degree is a huge accomplishment for me as I was able to complete the program while working full-time and raising three young children, who along with my husband, have been my inspiration through it all. I have met some great classmates as well as instructors along the way who have provided me with great support and educational/experiential knowledge that I will hold with me through my future endeavors.
Thank you and congratulations to all of my graduating classmates!
Sharri Edmunds
Although my journey to becoming a social worker began many years prior to September 2009, my dream was realized when I took and completed my first course in the Distance Delivery BSW program at the University of Manitoba. While my journey has lasted longer than most for many reasons including the births of children, the passing of parents, changes in professional roles, and even struggles with my own health and mental health, I am proud to say that I finally got here, and my dream is now my reality. The journey to this day was not solely about joining a profession but through the anti-oppressive approach embedded in the material, this degree has also been about personal healing and further enlivening my inner resolve to help others find their own power and healing. I am deeply grateful to my family and friends for all of the support and encouragement, to my peers and colleagues for their time and investment and to my instructors and classmates at the U of M for fostering my learning. I am honoured to have studied here!