Trudi Peperkoorn – Bachelor of Social Work
Trudi’s passion for women empowerment and working with people inspired her to choose a career in social work. She shares how her Bachelor of Social Work practical placement allowed her to support those in need, while achieving immense personal and professional growth.
"I chose a career in social work because I’m passionate about women empowerment and I’ve always loved working with people. My history also played a big part in this choice – I am a survivor of domestic violence and I live with PTSD, and a wonderful counsellor helped me many years ago when I was in a dark place.
“I completed my first placement at Shine, an NGO for domestic violence. There were many special moments on this placement, but the highlight was helping a young lady and her daughter who walked in off the street for a consultation. Over the following weeks, I observed the growth and changes as my supervisor continued to work with this young family.
“There were some really challenging and triggering times for me – hearing the intensity and the brutality of the police referrals from the night before was difficult. My supervisor got me through these moments – supervision is so important. It was also hard to accept the limitations of what you can do to help, because as a student you have such high expectations of saving people. By the end of my placement I could really appreciate and became satisfied with what we were able to help these women achieve. My own professional and personal growth on placement had been immense. I owe so much gratitude to my supervisors and everybody at Shine. It truly was a great experience.
“I have really enjoyed my time at University and would like to say thank you to the amazing lecturers and practicum team that have helped make this journey possible. I’m forever grateful to the friends I made, who got me through the tough times. As I complete my final year, I’m excited what the future may hold, not limited to any field of social work. I would like the opportunity of a position at a hospital as a social worker, as I believe it will give me a good foundation to build my career.”
Trudi’s top tips for social work placements:
- Keep a daily journal for record-keeping, as well as a personal journal. This will be great to reference when doing your reflection assignment.
- Make sure you know your practicum book cover-to-cover because there is a lot in there to help you.
- Reach out to your university practicum team – they’re there to help!
- Enjoy yourself and step out of your comfort zone while you have someone there to guide you. This is a great opportunity so make the most of it as before you know it, you’ll be back in the classroom.