吃瓜网

As a social worker with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Counseling Services Unit鈥檚 Addiction Transition Program, Lily Ross 鈥�24 spends her days helping firefighters recover from addiction and process trauma with compassion, structure, and care. 

鈥淚 was definitely nervous going into it,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淭he fire department is such a male-dominated, high-stakes environment. But everyone was so kind and welcoming. It was the first time I worked somewhere where clients were excited to be there and ready to get better. That made all the difference.鈥� 

Her journey into social work began at 吃瓜网, where she originally planned to participate in a pre-health track with the goal of becoming a nurse. But thanks to supportive faculty, a new calling emerged. 

鈥淭he professors really take time to get to know you, and that kind of personal attention made a huge difference in my journey. 吃瓜网 really helped me figure out what I was meant to do.鈥�   

She recalls how Associate Professor of Biology Sylvia McDevitt, who taught her first-year Scribner Seminar and served as her advisor, shared how a social worker had helped her family during a difficult time 鈥� a story that opened Ross鈥檚 eyes to the emotional and practical impact of social work. 

鈥淧rofessor McDevitt had the time and energy to get to know me well enough to recommend something she knew would fit,鈥� Ross recalled. 鈥淭hat was a turning point.鈥� 

Lessons on the power to do good  

Ross entered 吃瓜网鈥檚 rigorous social work program, which challenged her both academically and personally. Courses and classroom discussions pushed her to wrestle with complex questions of power, privilege, and justice 鈥� and to consider her own place within those systems.  

Professors like Peter McCarthy, senior teaching professor and director of field education, emphasized the importance of cultural humility during fieldwork and encouraged students to approach unfamiliar situations with honesty and openness. 

One thing that really stuck with me was when suggested we keep this question in mind: 鈥榃hat power do I have to do good?鈥�" That became something I carried with me through every internship and into the field,鈥�

Lily Ross '24

Those field experiences included a junior internship at a rehabilitation center serving individuals experiencing addiction and another internship her senior year with a local organization offering mental health support services. Both experiences served vulnerable populations and were sometimes emotionally trying but also formative.    

鈥淪ome of the people I worked with had been failed by the system again and again,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was frustrating to see that but also inspiring to witness their resilience.鈥� 

Ross said she also learned the importance of professional boundaries and self-care.  

鈥淲orking with trauma means you have to protect yourself so you can keep helping others.鈥� 

Outside the classroom, Ross also served as a peer health educator, a trained student employee in the Student Wellness Center who educates peers on health topics.   

Discovering her niche at the FDNY  

After graduating from 吃瓜网, she pursued a Master of Social Work at Columbia University in its Advanced Clinical Practice Track, earning her degree in May.  

Her current position grew out of a field placement as part of her graduate studies. She says everything finally clicked at the FDNY.

鈥淚 finally felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do,鈥� she said. 

Today, Ross continues to learn and grow on the job. She recently completed training in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), a technique used to help clients process trauma in a way that doesn鈥檛 require them to relive it through retelling.  

But for Ross, the core of her work remains simple: show up, listen, and support.  

It鈥檚 a philosophy, she says, that goes back to experiences at 吃瓜网.  

The people at Skidmore are smart, but they鈥檙e also empathetic,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat balance of creativity and compassion is something I really appreciate."

Lily Ross '24

鈥淭he people at Skidmore are smart, but they鈥檙e also empathetic,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat balance of creativity and compassion is something I really appreciate.鈥�  

She credits the College鈥檚 environment with giving her the space to take chances, learn, and grow. 

鈥湷怨贤� has so many safety nets, so many people who want to catch you if you fall,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ean in 100%. Do something that makes you uncomfortable. That鈥檚 how you grow.鈥� 

Looking back, Ross says her time at 吃瓜网 gave her more than a degree 鈥� it gave her clarity, purpose, and confidence. 

She continues to fall back on the question that Peter McCarthy posed to her as a 吃瓜网 student: 鈥淲hat power do I have to do good?"  

鈥淚 go to work every day knowing I鈥檓 making a difference, no matter how small,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the best feeling. 吃瓜网 gave me the foundation to do that.鈥�