Five Qs about you and TMU: Teagan Soubolsky
Teagan with her family dog, Teddy.
My interview with a student from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)’s Faculty of Community Services had to be the one I was most excited about in this series. Up until my talk with Teagan, I had little experience with it but was intrigued by the faculty’s programs such as Midwifery, Disability Studies and Teagan’s own program, Social Work. This program can open the door to many community outreach careers, such as working as a family worker, an addictions counsellor or a social researcher. You get the opportunity to work with non-profit organizations, community health centers and even municipal governments.
Isabel: Can you describe your program to me in one sentence?
Teagan: Reimagining what it means to help, and reframing social work practices to be anti-oppressive.
I: Why did you choose to study at TMU?
T: I chose to study at TMU because it's in downtown Toronto, which gives us the opportunity to put our work into practice by assisting the vulnerable populations living in the city. I also wanted to study in Toronto because I think that it’s a really beautiful city.
I: Can you tell me about any experiential learning you’ve participated in? What other opportunities are you looking forward to?
T: We act out situations that we could encounter in our practice and write term papers on practical situations that we could encounter. We also examine real-world studies and statistics about marginalized populations and how we can help while retaining their agency. Next year I’ll start my placements, which happen in the third and fourth year of my program. I can also do one as part of the master’s program if I decide to pursue that. I’m at a point right now where I have to decide what sector I want to be in. There are plenty of sectors in social work to choose from, such as senior care, child care, health care or a research position in politics. I’ll likely be working in a political office, as my minors are Politics and Public Administration.
I: What is your favourite thing that you have experienced on campus?
T: My favourite thing on campus are the months of August and September. The vibe around that time is so wonderful — there are so many interesting things going on. They have the Gould Street fair and concerts for incoming students during Orientation. There’s also always free food everywhere at the beginning of the year.
Students studying in the Daphne Cockwell Complex, home to several of the Faculty of Community Services’ programs.
I: What advice would you give someone who is starting their research about which university or program they want to pursue?
T: My advice for someone researching universities would be to really focus on a career they want. What is your passion? What is the thing that gives you purpose? Because that is what you’re going to want to devote your time to. As far as choosing a university, there are a lot of things to take into account. Don’t just go for prestige, but make sure you’re going to actually enjoy your university experience. Here you have to balance between school, your social life, time to explore Toronto, and experiencing a new level of academic integrity and academic need.
Thank you so much to Teagan for sharing her experiences with me. I enjoyed learning about this faculty and having the chance to take a deeper look into her program. Do you see yourself studying Social Work? Check out our How to Apply page to get your application started.
That’s all for now folks! Keep checking the blog for updates from both myself and Hadiqah.
Talk to you soon,
Isabel
