To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “Hey! My name is Sarah Liberty, I’m originally from Kingston, New Brunswick. I did my undergrad at UNB where I did my BA with Honors in Psychology and Minor in Sociology. Concurrently, I also completed my certificate in Family Violence Issues. Currently, I am studying at the Dalhousie School of Social Work in Halifax, Nova Scotia.”
Do you feel your undergraduate career prepared you for professional school? “I do! UNB’s psychology department in Fredericton was fantastic and what I learned within my coursework is highly applicable to what I am now studying. Additionally, I had amazing mentorship both within the faculty and through the experiential learning opportunities facilitated through UNB.”
Would there be anything you would have done differently during undergrad to better your chances of being accepted into your program? “I am immensely grateful for the experiences that I had that helped me be accepted! I would highly recommend getting involved within a research lab that interests you early on in your degree (I wish I had gotten involved earlier!), and to start accumulating both work and volunteer experience applicable to your program of preference as soon as you possibly can (take advantage of every opportunity!). A combination of academic, professional, and volunteer experience is key not only to having a strong application but also to prepare you for the field you are going into.”
What was the thing that surprised you the most during the application process? “The time it took and how every applicable experience (whether it was academic or professional) mattered tremendously! As I wrote my application, I appreciated even more the opportunities that UNB and the community of Fredericton at large had given me as it allowed me to feel confident about my application and quite frankly made it that much easier to write!”
Why did you choose to attend professional school? “Throughout my degree and my professional experiences, I grew a passion for the field of social services and felt early on that this was the field I wanted to pursue. Although my BA and certificate gave me a great foundation for this work, I wanted to take it further and continue my education so that I could immerse myself into this field fully. Social work seemed to be the right fit for me as it has so many different opportunities and areas of practice! Additionally, it adopts a critically reflective anti-oppressive lens which is very much needed within the field.”