Volunteer Spotlight: Haley Cerveny
At Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, our volunteers are the heartbeat of our work. Their dedication, compassion, and eagerness to support children, youth, and families make a profound impact on our community. This month, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on Haley Cerveny, a practicum student with Victim Services, whose passion for learning and commitment to advocacy have already made a difference.
Haley joined Luna in January 2025, stepping into her practicum with an open heart and an eagerness to learn. In just over two months, she has embraced every opportunity to contribute, from supporting families during forensic interviews to conducting follow-up calls and refining her documentation skills.
“I am here to learn, so I do everything I can,” Haley shares. “I’ve been working on research projects with the Research & Evaluations team for partner and community events, and I’m excited to spend time with the Court Support team in the coming weeks to learn more about their role.”
Read Haleys Q&A below:
How long have you been volunteering with Luna?
I started my practicum at Luna in early January of 2025, so I have been here for just over two months.
What do you do in your volunteer role, as a practicum student with Victim Services?
I am here to learn, so I do everything I can! I have been supporting families at interviews and through follow-up calls, improving my documentation skills, and berating my wonderful supervisor with a million questions about the organization and how everything works. I have also been working with the Data & Evaluations team with some research projects for partner and community engagement events. I am going to be spending some time with the Court Support team in the coming weeks and learning more about their role, I’m very excited about that!
Why did you decide to do your practicum with Luna?
I have been wanting to do a practicum at Luna since I started my degree! I wanted to experience working in a multi-disciplinary team, as I love the idea of multiple partners working together to support families. Having the opportunity to engage with and gain insight from individuals working in so many different roles is what drew me to Luna.
What is the most rewarding part of volunteering at Luna?
The most rewarding part of volunteering at Luna is getting to work with the multi-disciplinary team and see the dedication of all partners to Luna’s role in the community. It has been a blessing to experience the cohesion of the team
What are your goals when it comes to your practicum?
My goal is to gain more insight into who I am as a professional and refine my practice techniques within the population I want to work with. Being surrounded by so many skilled and knowledgeable people who are so willing to answer my questions and talk about their careers has helped me grow in my awareness of myself and my goals as a professional – I want to continue learning everything I can while I am here so I am prepared to graduate and feel comfortable with my skills as I move into the professional world.
What have you learned from your career, education or life experiences that you can apply at Luna?
The most important thing I have learned from my career and life experiences thus far is that everyone you meet has a story you don’t know. I have learned importance of approaching every interaction with patience, compassion, and curiosity because you never know what someone is going through in that moment. Curiosity is the enemy of judgment, I always try to combat judgment with questions in order to gain a deeper understanding of the person in front of me.
Where are you looking to end up once you’ve completed your studies?
I have always had a passion for child development and trauma-informed interventions. I was drawn to social work with the intention of working with children and families and would love to find a role that fits within that scope. My practicum at Luna has given me a lot of opportunities to see what is available within the scope of my interests, so we’ll see where I end up!
Outside of your role at Luna, what interests keep you busy?
I like to keep myself busy outside of work! My hobbies include bow-hunting, falconry, camping, playing piano, and doing jigsaw puzzles! I love to read, I play DND, and I am an avid musical theatre fanatic.
