The right field

Georgie Jones is in her final year of studying social work at the University of Tasmania. She has been chosen by the University to receive the 2024 Anglicare Scholarship in Social Work.

Tell us about your journey to social work.

I grew up on a farm on the North West Coast. In my late teens I moved to Bendigo but after a few years found my way back here, and back to living on a farm. That time away really helped me appreciate how incredible our little corner of the state is, but it also really opened my eyes to how under-resourced and unique rural communities are, especially when it comes to support and mental health.

After school I had no interest in further education and didn’t consider social work as a field I wanted to work in, although I enjoyed studying sociology and psychology during college. Over the next few years I dabbled in a few job areas, mainly retail, but I found they didn’t really fuel my fire.

It wasn’t until Covid when everything was shutting down that I really started to consider my options. Talking to the social workers in my family helped me realise I could use my lived experience of mental health and my passion to start a career helping people.

During the lockdowns I started a public mental health blog as a place to advocate for mental health awareness and reduce stigma. While running that, I realised I wanted a formal education to support my lived experience and enable me to do more. After encouragement from family, I took the leap to apply to study social work at the University of Tasmania and I’ve never looked back!

Tell us about your experience of studying at UTAS. Are there any specific skills you’ve learned that you will draw upon as you begin your career?

Studying at UTAS has been a fantastic experience. It was really intimidating coming back to education as an adult – especially as I wasn’t the best student in school! – but I found it very supportive. The unique thing about Uni is coming together with people of all ages and backgrounds who can be so different, but who all share the same passion for the field in their own ways. This has really helped me learn how to work with all sorts of different people which is definitely a skill I will take into my career.

How important and valuable are work placements?

Last year I did my first placement at Rural Health Tasmania in Wynyard and loved it. The highlight for me was learning about their SevenUp program, which ignited a real passion for youth work. Before this placement I didn’t think I wanted to work with young people, but I enjoyed my time at SevenUp so much that I have continued to volunteer there after my placement ended.

It also confirmed my passion for rural social work. I love the unique nature of small rural communities, and the creativity necessary for problem solving in areas that lack resources. It helped me develop personal and professional skills that will be useful in any role, but also helped me start to identify what my ideal role might look like after Uni. I’m not sure where I will go on placement this year, but I look forward to all the new challenges it will bring.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Right now I’m enjoying all the different learning experiences – who knows what opportunities will pop up over the next 10 years! In saying that I don’t see myself leaving the North West Coast. I love the area and living in the country, and I’m passionate about advocating for, and supporting the community I grew up in. As far as my career, nothing is set in stone but I could see myself working in some sort of advocacy role for youth, or something policy or research related.

What would you say to someone contemplating a career in social work?

If you have the passion and the drive for helping people, just go for it. Don’t worry about not having the experience, or the knowledge, or even the good academic record. That will all come. So much learning and personal growth happens in four years; you don’t have to have it all figured out at the start.

 What difference will the scholarship make in this last year of your studies?

These past few years have seen the biggest cost of living crisis in my adult life. This scholarship has made the world of difference of to me because it has allowed me to breathe a little easier knowing I have some extra funds to support me, especially as I embark on my second workplace placement and incur additional costs like travel. It has also allowed me to continue my passion of volunteering with local young people.

I’m sure there was a pool of incredible candidates and I feel an immense sense of pride that I have been chosen. It also affirms that I am in the right field.  Opportunities like this make such a difference in students’ lives – thank you, Anglicare.

More information:

The Anglicare Scholarship in Social Work is worth $5,000. It is offered each year to a third or fourth year student of social work at the University of Tasmania. The University selects the scholarship winner.

Read interviews with former scholarship recipients Louise Adams (2023) and Bonita Raimondo (2022).

Visit the University of Tasmania’s School of Social Work webpage for course outlines, information on career opportunities and student case studies.