News Archives: Ashley Richards: A Healing Education
Friday, April 6th, 2018
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After overcoming a difficult past of abuse and drug addiction, Ashley Richards enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program, and found a way to heal herself while gaining the skills to help others.
At age sixteen, Richards had already seen and dealt with more than the average adult. She had already dropped out of school, been involved in multiple abusive relationships, experienced a miscarriage, and experimented with different coping mechanisms, some of which were extremely dangerous for her health. Yet it wasn’t until Richards and her boyfriend weren’t able to buy his daughter dinner on Christmas that she knew she needed to make a change.
After getting clean twelve years ago, and leaving her then abusive boyfriend, Richards began dating the father of her child. When she had her son, she began publicly speaking about her past and decided to go back to school. After completing her GED, she found enough encouragement to continue her education even further.
Richards started at GPRC with the intention of becoming an addictions counsellor; however, when she took her first social work class with University of Calgary professor Gail Zuk she knew she had found her career path.
For nearly twenty years GPRC has been partnered with the U of C to bring the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program to northern Alberta. Zuk herself has been successfully running the program since then.
The programs allows students to complete their first two-years at GPRC, giving them the academic skills they need to be successful, and then they move on to the U of C to complete their third and fourth years.
When Richards moved back to Grande Prairie it was because it was home to her and where her parents were. She did not want to leave again, so being able to complete her entire social work degree in Grande Prairie was very influential in her decision.
In the BSW program students take classes on weekends, which allows students, like Richards, to work while in school. The reputation of the program and the non-conventional delivery also allows students to travel from outside of Grande Prairie for classes. Zuk has had students drive in from High Level and Dawson Creek, and at least one student who flew in from Fort McMurray.
The program aims to train people from the north, investing in and educating people who are already members of the community, so that they are more likely to stay here. This also allows for the education that students receive to be tailored to working specifically in the north.
Returning to school was very enlightening for Richards. “For me, my education, my entire academic career was like my own personal therapy session,” said Richards. “It was really healing to just realize that I have value as a human being.”
In her time at GRPC Richards was able to make strong friendships with her peers and instructors.
“The difference between a big institution like the U of C and a northern college like GPRC is that we’re way more accessible to students here, we’re able to mentor them, and we’re involved in the community that we live and work in,” said Zuk.
“Gail and the program literally changed my life,” said Richards. “Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am or have the confidence and the motivation that I have to go after what I want and not let anybody stand in my way.”
“When Ashley first came into the program she didn’t have a lot of confidence,” said Zuk. “She didn’t really believe in herself coming from the background that she came from, but between the GPRC instructors mentoring her and me having the privilege of working with her she just blossomed.”
In the end of her first term, another hardship fell in Richards’ lap. Even though she didn’t have strong connections with her classmates at that point, they all chipped in to help her through the difficult time.
“Looking back, I realize the connection and the bond you make with those twenty students and how much easier your life is when you reach out for support. The connections you build in that classroom are going to web out to the rest of your career.”
After two and a half years, Richards has just recently left her position at HIV North running the LGBTQ youth program. She loves the youth she works with, but her real passion has been doing community-wide education on gender and sexual diversity. She has enjoyed teaching about homophobia, gender stereotypes, and gender expectations.
Richards has recently finished her schooling, and was chosen as the outstanding graduate at her U of C convocation. Now that she has completed her degree, and her life is no longer filled with the trauma of her past, she plans to get certified in yoga therapy and specialize in yoga for trauma.
