It’s that time of the year again, collegiettes™; those dreaded weeks when we are all sleep-deprived. Yes, final exam period is here! (Last week, we spotted the student society handing out anti-stress kits). A few days ago, Her Campus McGill sat down with Arielle Gottesman, a successful, passionate, and incredibly relaxed social work collegiette™ who manages a perfect balancing act: academics, a healthy social life, and involvement in many important non-profit organizations—no stress kit necessary! Her secret? It’s simple, she only takes on projects which she truly cares about and my fellow collegiettes™, she remembers to breathe!
How did your interest and love for social work start? Where did this journey begin?
It’s interesting because I was actually very young when I realized that this was the path I wanted to take. When I was in my early teens, my grandfather was admitted to the hospital. While it was difficult, I quickly noticed that patients were in need of attention and comfort. What was amazing to me was that a simple smile or a small conversation would completely make their day. That is when I knew that this was something I wanted to continue doing.
How did you begin getting involved? What kind of organizations were you involved with?
I was really able to find ways to get involved once I entered high school. I began volunteering at the Richardson Hospital, working with patients on rehabilitation programs. What I loved about it was that it allowed me to connect to people in a special, incredible, and intimate way. It was a really amazing and insightful experience to have at that age. From then on, I began getting involved in fundraisers, youth groups, anything that would allow me to work and connect with people.
Tell us a little bit about your work right now. What kind of initiatives are you currently involved in?
Right now, I am working on a project at the Jewish General Hospital. I am working as a social work intern at the oncology center with a group of volunteers. Our goal is to support young children whose parents or other family members are dealing with cancer. It is an initiative which not only provides comfort to these children, but also tries to give them a better understanding of what is going on, in a kid-friendly way of course. There is no doubt that it is highly emotional at times but the progress which we see is unbelievable, which makes it all worth it!
Is there any volunteer experience that you feel stands out from the others? Any experience that you feel particularly marked or changed you?
It’s really hard to say, because every experience teaches you something. Earlier this year, I travelled to Nicaragua to work with various women’s groups in order to create a more sustainable living environment. We actually helped build ovens so that women could bake bread to sell at the market, allowing them to increase their incomes. What I particularly loved about our project was that it was a collaborative effort between our community and theirs; we were really working together, which was incredible to me. The community was so warm, welcoming and appreciative. It gave me a completely new perspective on life and I am so thankful for that!