Ana Garcia del Barrio, 20 March, 2025
The Dace Dambergs Social Work scholarship is aimed at students from a non-English speaking background, who are enrolled in a social work degree. Ana shares her experience receiving the scholarship while studying social work as a mature aged student.
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Why study social work?
Social work is a path to a more equitable and just society. It allows you to contribute by working alongside the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society. I chose this area because I am passionate about social justice.
QUT offers a critical social work program that encourages students to challenge the status quo. I also love the compassionate approach of lectures and the “walk the talk” they all embody.
The Dace Dambergs Scholarship
Dace Dambergs was a migrant from Latvia who travelled to Australia to escape war. She made the decision to return to university as a mature aged student studying the Bachelor of Social Work, an experience she describes as life-changing.
The scholarship was established as a way to provide others who are similar to Dace Dambergs herself, the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
What inspired you to apply for the Dace Dambergs scholarship?
When I saw the opportunity in the QUT intranet, I looked up who Dace Dambergs was. Reading her life story was incredibly inspiring, and reflected the type of Social Worker I aspire to be.
I met the criteria to apply for it – being a mature aged, CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) student – so I went for it, and I am very grateful that I got it.
How has the scholarship helped you in your studies?
It supported me to pay for daycare for my child on my last unpaid placement. It was a financial relief but also, a big motivator to do well and strive for good academic results. I did not want to disappoint Dace!
Meeting Dace Dambergs at the Awards ceremony was one of the highlights of my master’s. Listening to her life story had a deep impact in my life. She truly embraces all the values of the social worker I want to be.
She inspired me to continue working hard, and encouraged me to make a difference in society. As a social worker entering this field in my 40s, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and hope.
What has been the best moment of your social work studies?
The most memorable moment in my master’s was meeting the Minister of Education in Sydney face-to-face, and attending a breakfast held at the Senate in Canberra to advocate for paid placements for social work students. This opportunity came up as a result of my first placement with Professor Christine Morley.
Working alongside Prof Morley, we had the opportunity to set up an advocacy platform in Queensland to end students’ poverty as a result of placements. It was the most incredible experience I could have ever dreamt of as a student.
What has your career been like since studying social work?
Straight after my studies, I was offered a coordinator role at an NGO that I absolutely love.
Although I thought that my path would be different (in a different area of social work and in different roles), this unexpected opportunity has turned out to be exactly what I needed at this stage in life. So again, being open-minded has helped me widen my path, and discover another side of social work that I would have never considered otherwise.
Undergraduate social work courses
