Willa McCaffrey-Noviss to volunteer with medical team in palliative care unit

SACKVILLE, NB — Willa McCaffrey-Noviss, an honours psychology student from Toronto, ON is the 2016 Mansbridge Intern at Mount Allison University. McCaffrey-Noviss will be volunteering at a hospital’s palliative care unit in Mysore, India.

“I am very interested in holistic health care and the idea of taking care of the complete person, physically and psychologically,” says McCaffrey-Noviss. “My research in psychology at Mount Allison has focused on hospice palliative care volunteers and I look forward to experiencing this first-hand in India. I would like to thank Chancellor Mansbridge and Mount Allison for allowing me this opportunity through the internship.”

“Willa’s studies in palliative and holistic health care, an area with growing demands in Canada and abroad, are timely and relevant,” says Mount Allison University Chancellor Peter Mansbridge. “I look forward to hearing about her experiences in this field internationally.”

McCaffrey-Noviss will spend the summer in India, with the majority of that time spent shadowing a doctor in palliative care. She will also work with palliative care volunteers, working to produce a newsletter about patients and sharing their stories.

“I’m really excited about this project. There are people with amazing stories in these units and they deserve to be told and celebrated,” says McCaffrey-Noviss, a former writer for the Argosy, Mount Allison’s independent student newspaper and current student representative on the University’s Board of Regents. “Along with the essential medical care, I think this kind of project helps to foster a community, which is a really wonderful thing for volunteers to help strengthen.”

Following her time in the hospital, McCaffrey-Noviss plans to volunteer at a women’s shelter, which provides services for women and children who have survived sexual assault.

Now in its sixth year, the Mansbridge Internship, established by the Chancellor in 2011, provides Mount Allison students with a unique leadership opportunity, which fosters the attitudes, abilities, and skills essential to active participation in an increasingly globalized and interconnected society. The Mansbridge Internship builds on the academic and extracurricular interests of students; enriches their academic and experiential learning; and creates opportunities for them to advance their leadership competencies through self-discovery, personal and interpersonal growth. Valued at $10,000 annually it is one of the most valuable internships of its kind at Mount Allison.

McCaffrey-Noviss will share her experiences in India with the University and wider community in a presentation on campus this fall.