Kiera McGuire

Features Editor

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, I had the pleasure of talking with Camille Mallett ’13, student support and outreach manager at The College of Wooster. Throughout our conversation, she shared tidbits of her life both outside and inside the College.

KM: Before we begin, can you introduce yourself for our readers?

CM: I’m Camille Mallett. My pronouns are she/her and Wooster is my hometown. One hobby I enjoy is writing poetry. I actually host an open-mic night here in Wooster, so I love creative writing.

KM: What’s your favorite part about it [the open mic night]?

CM: We get to meet a lot of new people…a lot of creative talent locally, but the whole purpose of this club [is] to create a safe and inclusive space where people can share their poetry or creative writing and feel supported.

KM: What is your favorite thing to do off-campus, as a Wooster native?

CM: I’m a mom. I have a little boy, who’s seven. Most of my life off-campus or when I’m not here [at the College] is [revolving around] sports for him or school activities for him. I also love being outside [and] I love being in nature. I just recently took up a hobby [in] photography, so I’m excited to dive into that a bit. 

KM: Can you talk a bit about your experiences here when you were a student?

CM: I graduated in 2013, so a little over ten years ago. My major was sociology, and I minored in psychology. Anne Nurse was my advisor. I did my I.S. on prisoner re-entry and the re-entry court system. I didn’t live on campus, so my experience being on-campus was different than most. It’s wild to me that [my time here] went by as fast as it did, and I always tell students to enjoy their time here.

KM: Were you planning on getting a job here post-graduation?

CM: Not at all [laughs]. I am very passionate about social work [and] I enjoy helping people. I worked locally at a nonprofit called OneEighty and I worked with people who were struggling with mental health diagnoses, substance use disorders and [worked with] the homeless. I tried to switch up my career a bit and went into writing mortgages. Totally different…I hated it [laughs]. I saw an opening for the College doing similar things I had done before, and I thought “That sounds perfect!”

KM: I saw on the College’s website that you focus on trauma-informed care. Can you explain that more?

CM: I am very passionate about trauma-informed care. It was a newer approach to working in social work, but I really appreciate it because when you’re working with someone and they present [you] with issues they are struggling with, a lot of people are inclined to ask, “Well, what’s wrong with that person,” or “How did they get to that point?”. If you’re looking at it through a trauma-informed lens, you’re interacting with them, meeting with them where they’re at and understanding the why or the how behind their circumstances. 

KM: If someone wanted to go into the same line of work as you, what would your advice be?

CM: I would say it is absolutely incredible to work in the line of social work. However, it is not for the faint of heart — you have to really love it and have a passion to work with other people. You learn so much from other people, more so than what can ever be learned in a classroom setting…I would be 100% supportive if someone I knew said they wanted to join the field.

KM: Can you touch on what a case manager is?

CM: There are three of us, and soon there will only be two. We’re consolidating who we have in the Dean of Students Office. The College of Wooster has always had case management in some way, shape or form. I had a lot of people ask about the differences between us and counseling services. Essentially, we work with a care team, which are people from different departments who come together and try to assist students who are presenting with obstacles or need additional support. Our form of outreach comes in a care team report for a student — those can be submitted by anyone on or off campus. Once we receive those, we assess them by the “NVIDIA risk assessment scale,” which helps us decide how we will reach out to that student. I meet students who are struggling with their mental health, those who are struggling with being a first-generation college student and those struggling academically and with athletics in terms of creating a balance. Once the student comes in, we do what is called a “needs assessment form,” which is completed by the student. Everything is driven based on what the student wants in this encounter…We provide connections for students and meet with them throughout the semester to help them navigate college until they feel comfortable doing it on their own. 

Thank you for your interview, Camille! It was lovely talking with you.

Look out for more “Scotlights” coming soon! 

Know a senior who is doing great work with their I.S.? Reach out to kmcguire27@wooster.edu to be featured in the Voice!