Careers
Career story: child welfare
As a wife and mother to two young boys, a senior practice analyst with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and a PhD candidate with the School of Child and Youth Care, Sobhana Daniel can honestly say that she's always busy!
Born in Malaysia and raised in India, Sobhana came from a family that placed a high value on education. During her teens she became President of the Rotaract Club (Youth Wing of Rotary International) and realized that she loved being with, helping and learning from people from all walks of life.
more...Her fieldwork as a student social worker in a Mumbai slum altered Sobhana's worldviews overnight. "In the midst of violent crime, prostitution, drug abuse and extreme poverty, I worked with children and women whose entire focus was simply surviving the day," she says. "It changed me immensely and I simply stopped taking life for granted."
A passion for public service
Sobhana's passion for public service is her main motivation for pursuing a PhD. She says, "I also enjoy research and teaching and think this education will help me pursue some of those aspirations while continuing to serve the public."
"In child welfare, like in many other areas, the key players rarely get to tell their own stories and be meaningfully involved in decision-making... I hope I can help do that by being a child welfare professional, a teacher and researcher at the same time. At the end of the day, for me it's really about being more reflective and thoughtful in whatever I choose to do personally and professionally."
Learn more about the PhD program in the School of Child and Youth Care
Your career
Our students are driven by a desire to improve society through teaching, research and their work in communities. You'll find a common thread of caring and community contribution woven through our programs.
Our programs and professional development options are directly applicable to the workplace, and flexible for working professionals. With experiential learning like practicum and co-op letting you work while you learn and distance (online) programs so you can study from your own community, we'll help you make a difference.
What our graduates do
The Faculty of Human and Social Development (HSD) is a vibrant place to learn and prepare to contribute to the health of society. Here, students train for professions that support children, families, elders, communities and governments. Learn about what our graduates do.
Academic advice
Academic advisers are an invaluable resource for students. They can help you plan your program, decide which courses to take and advise on which courses may be transferable to UVic.
Child and Youth Care
Child and Youth Care
Vicki Ziegler, undergraduate adviser, phone 250-721-7984
Kathy Harrison, undergraduate adviser, phone 250-721-7984
Sandra Curran, assistant, graduate program, phone 250-472-4857
Shelley Henuset, assistant, graduate program, phone 250-472-4857
Dispute Resolution
Dispute Resolution
Tara Ney, graduate student adviser, phone 250-721-8199
Bonnie Keleher, graduate program assistant, phone 250-721-6446
Health Information Science
Health Information Science
Andre Kushniruk, undergraduate adviser, phone 250-472-5132
Abdul Roudsari, graduate adviser, phone 250-721-8576
Shawna McNabb, graduate secretary, phone 250-721-6459
Indigenous Governance
Indigenous Governance
Jeff Corntassel, graduate adviser, phone 250-721-6438
Indigenous student adviser
Indigenous student adviser
Roger John, phone 250-472-5431
Nursing
Nursing
Lori Klear, undergraduate adviser, phone 250-472-4702
Nadja Pearce, undergraduate program assistant, phone 250-472-4361
Lynne Young, graduate adviser, phone 250-472-5678
Sophie Cote, graduate program assistant, phone 250-721-8994
Public Administration
Public Administration
Tara Da Silva, undergraduate and diploma program assistant, phone 250-721-7046
Jim McDavid, graduate student adviser, phone 250-472-4293
Judy Selina, graduate program assistant, phone 250-721-6448
Public Health and Social Policy
Public Health and Social Policy
Joan Gillie, undergraduate and graduate student adviser, phone 250-853-3845
Social Work
Social Work
Marian Simmonds, undergraduate (child welfare, Indigenous or Indigenous child welfare specialization)adviser, phone 250-721-8042
Michelle Osborne, undergraduate admissions coordinator (BSW), phone 250-721-8047
Susan Strega, graduate adviser, phone 250-721-8333
Jamie Ready, graduate program assistant, phone 250-472-5622
Studies in Policy and Practice
Studies in Policy and Practice
Doug Thompson, graduate adviser, phone 250-721-8043
Career stories
Helping victims of human trafficking
When Alison Clancy (Social Work) was living in Vietnam she became passionate about helping victims of human trafficking. She chose UVic because of the reputation of the School of Social Work and their distance education BSW program.
Coming to UVic also opened up a unique opportunity -- working in the B.C. Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons. There's only one office in Canada doing this work, and Alison was able to do her practicum there. The practicum opened up the door for Alison to work in this field, and she's looking forward to starting her Master's in a few years.
Her UVic experience exceeded Alison's expectations. "The quality of the program is amazing," she says. "I feel so fortunate and lucky to be here. I didn't know how much better this program was compared to the other social work programs across Canada!"
Educating the nurses of tomorrow
Sarah Mellett (Nursing) grew up with an appreciation of nursing. Her father is a nurse, and she always admired how nurses were able to give back to the community.
Sarah decided to pursue a master's degree while working in the field of child and youth mental health. She chose UVic because of the School of Nursing program's flexibility -- taking online courses made it possible while working and raising a young family.
The program was so flexible that Sarah was able to take a semester off for maternity leave. She says, "I even breastfed my baby while studying online at home."
Getting a master's degree opened many doors. Sarah is now working as a Nurse Educator in the Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing program at Douglas College, where she developed a new course in the field.
Career information
Visit Co-op and Career Services for help finding casual work, like the perfect summer job, or part-time work and volunteer opportunities.
Career Services staff are there to help, too, as you search for full-time work after graduation.
