Carolyn Ralph is graduating Nov. 20 with a Master of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Ralph, who also earned her BA in Anthropology and her Bachelor of Social Work at McMaster, has served as a fourth-year student representative and co-facilitated peer support for her cohort.

Ralph co-created the Hamilton Educational Alternatives Conferences (2018 and 2019), as well as the photovoice exhibit Fenestra: Shining a Light on Adultism, curated with youth co-researchers at the 2018 Hamilton Supercrawl.

She was a founding member of We Learn Naturally, an organization committed to youth allyship, and has served on the executive board for Mindfulness Hamilton.

At McMaster, Ralph focused her thesis on a critical social work approach to mental health and nature-based therapies. She has worked and volunteered in community development and mental health support for more than 20 years and runs a private practice in partnership with the natural world.

What brought you to McMaster?

I was born and raised in Hamilton and attended St. Mary’s High School when it was on the McMaster campus. I started at McMaster straight out of high school in 1991! It just felt right to stay in Hamilton and the campus was familiar to me.

I had a challenging time in university when I was younger, having to leave and come back many times — my transcripts are about 12 pages! I struggled with my mental and physical health and I was always interested in the elective courses rather than my degree requirements.

It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I was able to go back to McMaster and complete my degree in Anthropology. I went back to McMaster because I had always been interested in the intersection of wellness, culture, mysticism and science and the courses focusing on medical anthropology were right up my alley.

The call to social work felt truly vocational. Civic involvement, and community volunteering was a part of my family culture. And because of a choice to exit mainstream education with my children, community development became a necessary next step in my life.

When I first stepped into the social work office at McMaster to inquire about the program, I knew instantly that this little school was a fit for me.

The McMaster School of Social Work community is exceptional in its integrity to upholding the values that they espouse in their philosophy statement.

Throughout my nine years with the school I experienced many health- and family-related issues and I honestly don’t think I could have managed to complete my undergraduate and graduate degrees without the care and support of the faculty and administrators at the school of social work.

What’s one of your favourite memories from your time here?

Oh boy, this is a hard one to decide on! I have SO MANY great memories — performing with the McMaster Social Work Band for the 50th anniversary of the school was fantastic!

Receiving an undergraduate research award that allowed me to create a photovoice research project with youth from the community was so enriching, especially the presentation with them at Supercrawl.

Perhaps my favourite memory was watching community members interact with the “I am here because…” chalk wall.

I remember sitting in the hallway studying one day and I got to see an interaction with three students who were checking out the new answers on the board and one of them noticed that someone had written the words “me too!” next to their response.

Watching her excitement over that little connection with one of her community members made my heart swell. I will never forget that. All the work that I had put into creating the wall felt totally worth it in that moment.

Tell us about a mentor or someone who made a difference for you in your time at Mac.

OK, this one feels impossible to narrow down to just one! There are so many folks who supported me on this journey in such powerful ways.

• My first interaction with the school was with Lorna O’Connell and Darlene Savoy who both convinced me to apply for the program with their loving energy.

• Ameil Joseph and Jennie Vengris were teachers who were willing to connect with me on a level that surpassed and challenged the teacher/student status quo.

Ann Fudge-Schormans, however, held me through one of the most challenging times of my life — completing my master’s thesis after my daughter had been critically injured in a near-fatal car accident. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done. She wasn’t just my supervisor, she was my anchor who held me emotionally and helped me to believe in my academic abilities.

Ann supervised many of my creative projects over the last nine years, always encouraging and fostering my need for “outside of the box” creative expression.

Ann’s exceptional scholarship, attention to detail, academic integrity and commitment to social justice is incomparable. I will always feel honoured to have been gifted with her mentorship and friendship.

Now that you’re graduating, any words of wisdom for students?

Where to start?

• Don’t be afraid to ask for support. Be open to receiving it. Asking for help is the bravest thing you can do.

• Get to know your teachers and support staff and allow yourself to connect. This is hard to do when there is such a power differential but they are there to help you. Not all will respond in kind, but don’t give up trying.

• Involve yourself in the school community. It’s so important for our wellness to feel connected and seen.

• When you feel regret, fear, worry or uncertainty, get out into nature and breathe in the trees.

• Remind yourself lovingly that you are doing your best and trust that you are right where you are supposed to be. Your being here matters.

What’s next for you, or what do you see yourself doing in the future?

I am open to ALL the possibilities!  I have found that staying in the questions is more fun and fruitful than trying to envision what’s next.

I would love to keep creating community-based participatory art — the “I am here because…” wall is ready for its next adventure! What else is possible?

I’d like to be more involved with students in the classroom. I feel a call to advocate for student-centred approaches to the education process and assessment strategies at the postsecondary level. What would it take?

I am so grateful to be doing work that feels meaningful within my practice and I hope to continue to be present for my clients, allowing my curiosity to bring new perspectives and experiences to our relationships. How does it get better?