The first in her family of seven to attend university, first-year student Kelly McCarthy is already making her mark at Trent. Recently, Ms. McCarthy, a student in the new Bachelor of Social Work program at Trent, was recently awarded the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) 2014 Annual Student Membership Award.

Reflecting on her decision to come to Trent, Ms. McCarthy says “I fell in love with the campus at first sight and decided it would be the perfect place to start my journey, surrounded by nature and with that small, community feel.”

Since arriving in the fall, what she has found in the newly-launched Social Work program is much more than just a career path.

“I love my courses,” she says. “They have really opened my mind and helped to make sense of my own life, and to better understand society and the world. College might have prepared me for a career, but I feel like Trent is preparing me more for the world. I still get that degree that allows me to be a social worker, but I also get that background knowledge with it that I think is so important.”

Ms. McCarthy’s passion for helping others is not only reflected in her academic excellence, but also in her volunteer work at Peterborough’s Warming Room, a shelter for homeless people during the cold months. It is challenging work, but Ms. McCarthy believes that the challenges she faces now will help to prepare her for what she knows will be an “intense” career.

For the more than 600 students who enrolled in its inaugural year, Trent’s new Social Work program offers an interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in social justice, human rights and cultural awareness that aims to help students to develop a strong foundation of clinical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and social responsibility.

According to Dr. Susan Hillock, director of the BSW program at Trent, Ms. McCarthy’s award was well-deserved: "Kelly McCarthy represents the spirit of this provincial award - a student who not only has achieved excellence in her academic work but also devotes herself to helping others in her volunteer work and social activism,” she says. “We are very proud of Kelly and believe that she represents the best of our new Social Work program.”