Tim Heck, MSW '23: A Journey of Empowerment

Tim Heck is a current student of the Master of Social Work at Shanghai and New York, a program jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and NYU Silver School of Social Work. Tim is in the extended pathway of the program, which provides the option that allows students to do their study in Shanghai as a part-time student for the first two years and go to NYC for the third year of study as a full-time student. 

Besides studying as a graduate student at NYU Shanghai, Tim is also a full-time cast member for the leading roles at Sleep No More, an internationally renowned theater that provides audiences an immersive theatrical experience. 

Recently, the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education interviewed Tim. He talked about his career, passion in social work, and experience of studying in the program.

A Seasoned Performer

Born and raised in Illinois, United States, Tim did his undergraduate study at Hope College in Chicago, majoring in Theater and Dance. He later spent a year to further study theater creation and performing in Belgium. As a professional actor, dancer, and former cheerleader of a marching band, he took part in diverse acting projects over the years, including the Blue Man Group in Chicago, immersive Peter Pan in Beijing, and Sleep No More in New York and Shanghai. “I performed in many famous yet strange shows”, he said.

Besides performing, Tim cares a lot about social issues such as child protection, domestic violence prevention, and mental health. Particularly, after receiving therapy for several years himself, he wants to offer people the same help as he has gotten from the professional therapist.

Joining the MSW Program

In 2018, Tim and his wife moved to China to work for Sleep No More in Shanghai. “Social issues and practice have long been my interest and I was thinking about doing something relevant to them in the next stage of my career, so I was seeking to learn more through a well-structured program. I came across this program on my search engine and I was immediately intrigued. This program is one of a kind. It’s offered by a globally leading university and includes studies and field placements in both New York and Shanghai, two of the world’s most vibrant cities.”

At that time, a major concern of Tim was time. He was working for Sleep No More as a full-time employee, and just had a baby girl. Taking on a master’s program would mean juggling a job, parenting, and studying. Fortunately, the unique flexibility of the MSW program solved that.

“The part-time option is very helpful. The flexibility shows the program’s genuine care for its students.” 

When asked how he feels about pursuing a master’s degree and a prospective career in social work, a field that doesn’t seem relevant to his current career, Tim said: “I sometimes get asked similar questions ‘Why do you jump from performing to being a social worker? Isn’t this a huge change?’ Well, I think in a way, being a performer and social worker is the same. They are both about empowering people. When I'm on stage, there is a great deal of listening that takes place in order to let the audience feel that they have been a part of the performance. I believe one of the fundamental skills of social work is also listening so that people feel truly heard and empowered as we work together towards solutions in their life.”

A Continuation of Empowerment

As the MSW program proceeds, Tim is increasingly certain and confident about pursuing a career in social work after graduation. The classes open up constructive discussions and enable him to develop a deeper understanding of social policies, issues, institutions, mechanisms, etc. while his field placement helps put this knowledge into practice.

Currently, Tim is doing his field placement at an international school in Shanghai to support students’ health and wellness. He discovered that some students are suffering from depression which stems from verbal or physical abuse at home. “I’m concerned about this kind of situation, and I would like to do more research on the existing child protection mechanisms to see if they can be improved and  be more effective.”

Tim will spend his third year of the MSW program in New York. He aims to secure a field placement in private practice or psycho-analytical institutes, hoping to develop a career out of it upon graduation and continue his journey of empowerment.