She says that there were a number of influences on the decision to pursue a career in social work, starting with her family life when she grew up between her mother’s house in Manly and her father’s house in Balgowlah. Throughout school she wanted to be a musician and played the saxophone, securing a music scholarship to an all-girls private school.
It wasn’t until her final years of school that Ruby set her sights on becoming a social worker. She says: “I became more aware of things and what I could do to help society, as well as more aware of who I was as a person.” After gaining a place at the University of Sydney, Ruby moved out of home and has since lived in suburbs including Redfern and Newtown, and works in a café in Erskineville. She also states that coming to places like Newtown during her childhood exposed her to different social issues and the importance of valuing diversity within the community.
Ruby says that studying social work has shaped her thoughts and beliefs about the world and helped her to consider new and different perspectives. She believes in a holistic approach to supporting people, underpinned by principles of compassion. She talks eloquently about the importance of recognising privilege and its ability to be mobilised for social change, stating that “social work can act as an avenue to channel that privilege or guilt into something positive and meaningful”. She also mentions the importance of not focusing on yourself too much and instead thinking more broadly about community wellbeing and cohesion.
As part of her degree, Ruby has undertaken two placements with different organisations to gain practical experience of being a social worker. Her first placement was with the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) program and she is currently completing her other placement at the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, an organisation that supports people living with HIV.
She says her placements have been “enjoyable but challenging” and have taught her the importance of “being your own advocate”. When asked about her future plans, Ruby replied that she is “open to anything” and is excited by the wide range of areas social workers can go into. She has conducted research as part of her degree that has focused on groups including Indigenous people, asylum seekers and the LGBTQI community. She says her interest in these areas has been shaped by interactions with the local community in South Sydney.
Ruby’s passion is evident when she begins talking about community misconceptions surrounding social work and the lack of knowledge about the importance of social workers and the diverse areas they work in. She sees this as reflecting the broader issue of society’s lack of appreciation for care work, including the work done by volunteers and other community workers. She says she wishes the work done by people in these areas was more valued and believes there is a need to raise awareness and increase public knowledge about its significance.
