Enda Whitney
I made friends for life. I got opprortunities to do things I had never done before. Mcing the Battle of the Bands for the Maynooth Students' Union is a great memory for me. I believe the winners that year 'Gypsies on the Autobahn' are still going strong.
Fundraising and embarking on a volunteer project with The Maynooth Mission outreach and volunteering as part of a supported project in Lima, Peru.
It is a close-knit community of students, from everywhere. It has a rich social life in its societies, student union amd nightlife. We got to take an incredibly unique field trip with our geography course to Belfast as we were studying the urban and human geography associated with the peace walls and the effects of the infrastructure the Northern troubles had left behind for communities there.
I learned how to be a real people person from my time in Maynooth. I learned the true meaning of applying empathy to my work and I learbed how to take into account environmental as well as human factors when faced with situations. I do that everyday in my work now. I became skilled at presentations and effective communication from my time at Maynooth.
Really engage with the people delivering the course and your peers. This degree can allow you to think outside the box.
Jack of all trades, master only of one so far. I thought English in South Korea and when I returned to do an Education Masters, my experiences of working with children in Korea and previous experience of working in Peru made me really want to work with children who tended to fall through the cracks of society without the correct support. I decided to go in from the ground floor of social (which my degree allowed me to) and worked in high intensity support residential care. I continued to learn and educate myself on early intervention and behavioural suport and care. I then continued on to work with children in the community as a high intensive behaviour support through Extern Ireland. I have also received my Masters in Child & Adolescent Studies. I am passionate about inclusion, diversity and support and that is what is needed in this role as an Extern Project Worker
I have many, but within my Extern role I have been lucky enough so see real life changes occur for the majority of my clients and I enjoy my work.
I work one to one with young people and their families or foster placements to prevent referral into state care and advocate for the young people while finding their own goals they would like to achieve. I work with my clients to develop the tools and skills they need to enjoy life and stay safe .
Every person is different and sometimes people can find it hard to trust services. I find it most interesting and challenging to work out how is best to connect with so many interesting individuals at different points of their journey.
I found out about the organisation through an ex-colleague that I worked with in residential care. I found that job by a recommendation from a friend I met in Maynooth University.
Try to be open minded and give every opportunity a fair chance. It's rare for things to click immediately. Always respect your own boundaries, be eager to learn. It is possible to be passionate and for the most part enjoy your job. I genuinely do.
What are the key insights gained during your time at MU that have helped you in your career journey? And what advice would you give to someone starting out or interested in your career or field? Please consider tactics such as networking, creative job searches, using the career centre, social media presence etc
Try to be open minded and give every opportunity a fair chance. It's rare for things to click immediately. Always respect your own boundaries, be eager to learn. It is possible to be passionate and for the most part enjoy your job. I genuinely do.
Update on 22/4/2025
I have since achieved two Masters degrees. One in Child and Adolescent Studies and my second masters degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy ( Integrated Modalities). I am working as a pre-accredited counsellor with Helplink Galway and I have just accepted a position with Galway City Council in Integration Support. This journey would not have been possible without my Maynooth University Degree and my Counselling diploma from Maynooth University.