Dallas Franklin

Dallas Franklin earned a Bachelor of Arts General in Psychology in 2017, and, following graduation, turned her focus to a four-week mental health placement working with local mental health organizations and institutions in Sri Lanka to bring awareness and challenge the stigma’s surrounding mental health.

Dallas went on to continue her education in the Social Service Worker program at George Brown College. Dallas was able to complete the program in one year thanks to her undergraduate degree. Dallas is currently in her second year in the Social Work program at Ryerson University, and she has been accepted to a Clinical and Ancient Psychology program in India.

Carleton’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology prepares students to understand the mechanisms that underlie the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of people. Such an understanding not only has theoretical value, but also the potential for practical, real-world applications.

“I am so glad I chose to go to Carleton. It’s a small small-town community feel even though it’s located in the middle of the capital city, so it is really the best of both worlds! As for the program itself, I feel that Carleton is the best place to study psychology because of the opportunities available in the program and in the city. There are six available concentrations for students to choose from and Ottawa is home to some of the leading mental health hospitals in the province.”
– Dallas Franklin, Bachelor of Arts, General, Psychology (’17)

Where do you currently work?

I currently work at a group home in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). I’m also a peer mentor with an organization called Youth Assisting Youth.

What skills did you learn in your BA that helped you in your current position? What kind of experiential learning was there?

 It wasn’t necessarily a skill but one thing I did learn throughout my BA were lots and lots of theories. I understood their significance and how they were applicable to everyday practice. However, I learned that although these theories were applicable to people and situations we are still working with a human being. I learned that even though these theories are helpful, they are secondary. It’s so much more important to connect with an individual on a genuine level in order to probably understand them and what they are experiencing; to put people before their diagnoses.

What did you do after your BA?

After completing my BA I took a year off to decompress and take my time to think about my next steps. I knew I wanted to volunteer but I also wanted to travel, so after some research I happened upon an organization that was a combination of both! A mental health placement in Sri Lanka that was specifically designed for recent psychology graduates. I spent four weeks working with local mental health organizations and institutions to bring awareness and challenge the stigma’s surrounding mental health.

After returning from my trip I felt so reinvigorated and it confirmed that I was on the right path. I was accepted to the Social Service Worker program at George Brown College and was able to complete the program in one year thanks to my degree! The SSW program changed my life and solidified everything for me, plus I was now eligible for advanced standing in Bachelor of Social Work programs at other universities.

I’m currently a second-year social work student at Ryerson University and I was recently accepted to a Clinical and Ancient Psychology program in India with the same organization I went to Sri Lanka with.

I’m so grateful for my time at Carleton and I always find myself reminiscing about my five years at the school because I truly enjoyed them. I genuinely attribute all my success to Carleton, and I look forward to hopefully returning one day to complete my Master of Social Work.

Do you have any advice for any students thinking of doing a BA in Psychology at Carleton?

If I could give advice to any students thinking of doing their BA in Psychology at Carleton, I would say go for it! I am so glad I chose to go to Carleton over any other school. It’s a small small-town community feel even though it’s located in the middle of the capital city, so it is really the best of both worlds!

As for the program itself, I feel that Carleton is the best place to study psychology because of the opportunities available in the program and in the city. There are six available concentrations for students to choose from and Ottawa is home to some of the leading mental health hospitals in the province. The program is extremely interesting with many classes to choose from for both mandatory and elective courses! Be sure to get very involved on campus and get to know your professors, peers, and all the resources available to you on campus. Make the most of all opportunities presented to you by volunteering, joining clubs/societies, sports teams, and most importantly get out of your comfort zone. Post-secondary isn’t solely about getting good grades and studying, you are going to spend the next 4-5 years in the space so make it worth your while.  It’s so important to make build bonds and make lifelong memories that you can talk about 20 years from now and still laugh just as hard about.