A passion for honouring people's stories

Whether through film making, social advocacy or motherhood, bachelor of social work graduate (BSW) and award recipient, Suzanne MacLeod values the “many layers” of people’s personal stories.

Growing up on a farm in the West Kootenays imparted strong community values in MacLeod. When a deep division occurred between environmentalists and loggers in her beloved community, she was inspired to tell the story from both sides of the divide through film in an effort to find common ground.

MacLeod is the first recipient of the inaugural academic award in the Faculty of Human and Social Development. This dedicated mother of two received a perfect graduating average of 9.00.

“The goal for me was about learning as much as I could,” says MacLeod, who will embark on a master's in social work in September. “It is such a privilege to be a student and to immerse in thoughts and ideas and to share with others. I did not take this opportunity lightly.”

MacLeod, who received a UVic English degree in 1990, described her reason for choosing social work as a career path. She recalls with a sense of profoundness special care she received that gave her a whole new lease on life―literally. Following a near-death experience, she found a social worker in the health care system was there to help her through it. She recalls fondly the social worker’s comment during her healing time―“it is going to be really interesting to see what you do with this experience.” She did not turn to social work immediately but was drawn to it naturally due to her deeply rooted social justice values.

She chose the BSW distance education option and joins a growing number of students from various walks of life who are choosing distance learning in accessing higher education opportunities.

“The distance option provided a very rich learning experience for me,” says MacLeod, who valued the real community she experienced online. “The peer learning and sharing opportunities were really rewarding.”

Even though MacLeod lives in Victoria, the online learning fit her lifestyle―allowing her to stay at home with her young children. “I had the best of both worlds with the flexibility of the distance program and the option to connect with instructors on campus.”

She describes her practicum placements in glowing terms as “incredible learning experiences.” A highlight was the opportunity to work at the Kiwanis Pavilion, a long-term care facility specializing in dementia care, where she is currently working part time as a social worker. A practicum at Victoria Hospice allowed her to experience first-hand the value of interdisciplinary health care teams, and the weekly meetings with other practicum students at the school’s downtown learning centre provided a source of enrichment and valued support.

“It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to get a degree, too. I am very grateful for the support of my family and friends,” says MacLeod.