Laura East
Honours Bachelor of Social Work (One Year)
Orillia, ON
What do you do when deciding on which new phone to buy? Or, when choosing a restaurant? How do you actually find out if that hotel you’re thinking about staying in while traveling abroad is as clean as the website promises? One way, is to ask others who have already been-there-done-that; so consider this my “Tripadvisor” review for Lakehead Orillia!
Although I only attended Lakehead Orillia for 12 months while completing my HBSW, I can honestly say that this period of my life has been one of the most influential, exciting, positive and memorable experiences to date. My post-secondary education has been interesting to say the least, as I bounced around for the first few years trying to figure out what it was I really wanted to do with my life. 9 years and 5 different Universities later, here I am!
Lakehead offered me what I had been searching for all along: connection, community, and opportunity. Although I didn’t live in residence, I was still able to become involved in SO much—both on and off campus. Our program was small and class sizes even smaller, so we quickly became a big family that studied together, went on trips, hosted get-togethers, and supported each other through the sometimes-overwhelming life of being a student. I made friends that I will keep forever, and made connections with faculty and staff that I plan to maintain over the course of my career.
One of my favourite parts of this university, is how professors and students often greet each other by first name, and can sometimes be seen having lunch together in the cafeteria. Honestly, where else does this happen!?
The HBSW program promoted community engagement though projects that collaborated with local community organizations. Not only is this practical experience for future social workers, it also helped to network for future employment opportunities! Additionally, this University has an outstanding reputation in the community of Orillia. There are also discounts at restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores or virtually anywhere downtown. Students love discounts!
After finishing the HBSW program, I left to complete my Master’s in Social Work. What really stood out for me this past year, was how well prepared I felt for the course load and academic content due to the solid foundation of skills and theory I received at Lakehead. I can honestly say that I had an advantage over students from other undergraduate programs due to the practicality of the HBSW program, the small class sizes, my placement experience, and the availability of faculty to engage with their students.
Myself and another student had the unique opportunity to complete our HBSW practicum on campus in the Student Affairs Department, working to create and promote a movement to address the topic of bullying on post-secondary campuses. Through this placement and the help of the Student Affairs team, we were selected to present our project—The Audacity Movement—in Halifax, NS at the Canadian Association of Colleges and University Student Services. This experience was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity given to me through Lakehead, by those who believed their students could make a difference.
I made the best choice for me when I accepted my offer to Lakehead. The natural environment, the community-feel, the opportunity for success and personal growth, and most of all, the people, are what made me feel happy and grateful for this truly unique university experience.
Right now, I have just completed my MSW degree at the University of Toronto and am moving back to Orillia to find employment in my home community. I am excited about being alumni and look forward to participating the some of the exciting events they have going on campus! My dream is to one day become a Counsellor for Lakehead Orillia and support students as they transition through these exciting years of their lives.