Personal Statement : Social Work

Social work is a career that finds and chooses you, rather than you selecting it. Social work has always been an immense portion of my life even when I had no recollection of what social work entailed. My life revolved around so many situations that had a social worker stepped in, my life would be totally different than it is today. Many individuals and agencies lack the compassion and empathy for oppressed people. Having been in many circumstances, has given me the experience and background that influenced me to go into social work, as well as the understanding of my role and responsibilities that I will assume as a professional social worker, and my reasons for selecting the program at ASU School of Social Work and thoughts on how the Mission Statement addresses my career goals.

Explain how you became interested in social work and why you chose social work as a major.

My main reason for applying to the Simmons School of Social Work is that it is an accredited university with an excellent reputation as an educational institution and offers an MSW program that is predominantly online. I attended Thomas Edison State University online and earned my bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.9. Once I made the decision to continue my education, I searched for MSW programs that were available online with CSWE accreditation in compliance with New Jersey State social work licensure. I found that Simmons’s specialized program in clinical social work is well suited for my educational needs.

Experiencing hardships and my resilience to overcome them is the main reason I chose to pursue a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) degree. My familiarity with asking for resources, as a former foster youth, a number of my interactions involved social workers. I utilized resources as a transition aged youth; and I believe it was those same resources that kept me focused on my future and school. I became homeless at eighteen years of age and it was transitional housing, through The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) that gave me hope and direction.

My interest in mental health and social justice arose early in my education, specifically when I learned about the complexities of the brain and how it molded people into who they are. I knew from there that I wanted to pursue a career that allowed me to help and guide others; I dreamed of being a catalyst for change. My undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Michigan increased my fascination with the mind, providing me with a solid foundation for my graduate studies. My minor in gender and health complemented this, diversifying and expanding my knowledge of marginalized populations. The moment I learned about the field of social work during a career fair in my sophomore year of college, I felt that it was the answer I had

Over the course of the past few years, I have been very blessed to have professional experiences that reinforced my interest in social work. In 2014, I worked as a guidance counselor and learning support intern at St. Pius Elementary school in Greensboro, North Carolina. In the guidance-counseling department, I assisted with counseling appointments with children in grades K-8. We often discussed topics

Growing up I witnessed my sister and grandmother deal with serious mental illness. My sister and grandmother both were diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It has always been my passion to help them manages their episodes. Growing up witnessing these episodes I always knew that I wanted to help those who are struggling to cope with mental health issues. Social work is not just a passion of mine, but a solution to the struggles many people face every day. I learned my “caring and compassion” for others, from my mother. My early experiences were a driving force for me pursuing my master’s in social work. As a child, my mother took in adults, children, and families within our neighborhood and afar to aid them in difficult times. Whether it was for a meal, a night, or longer, she has spent her life caring for others. The passion my mother possessed for helping others has become my

As I continue with social work, I developed an interest working with children and youth in a school setting. Eventually, I switched my major and was probably the toughest decision I had to make. Studying social work as an undergrad at Humboldt State helped me find who I am and what I want to become. I found a sense of belonging by developing a perspective of my own struggles while growing up. I realize how common systemic oppression affects not only me, but everyone around me. Understanding systemic issues, knowing the barriers that people face first hand, encourages me to want to work hard to fight against inequality.

After I graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara I was unsure what my next step would be. Of course I was anxious since I did not have experience working nor did I excel in my undergrad studies however, I knew I needed to use my newly earned degree in a positive way. Fast forward, after working for two years, I have gained the skills, knowledge and values from my work experiences that have confirmed my desire to advance my education in the social work field. I currently have my own case load of clients as a case manager at a level 12 group home but it’s time to take the next step forward. I want to ultimately advance social justice and provide services to assist individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

For a majority of my life, I wanted to be a pediatrician when I grew up. I had wanted to be a pediatrician due to my passion to work with children, in addition to enhancing the lives of children. As I continued to grow up, I realized that science is not my strong suit and I would never survive medical school. I do not recall how I learned about the profession of social work, but around the eighth grade I have known that social work was the profession that I wanted to pursue. The idea of helping others is what initially struck me as compelling because I did not understand social work in it’s entirety, but I knew that I would relish a life of helping other individuals.

My childhood along with my life experiences played a major role in my choice to pursue social work as my career. I grew up with a single mother that was drug dependent. I moved back in forth between my mother’s and my grandparent’s household. I didn’t have a

My journey into social work started from a very young age. As a child growing up I felt like I was different then all the other girls my age. As I got older I decided that when I went to college I wanted to be able to have a career that would give me the opportunity to help others. I wanted to be able to help people because I felt as though the help I was looking for and needed as a child was lacking. If this help was not lacking at the time my knowledge of support was nonexistent.

Throughout the years I have gained experience in the social work community but in a different way. My experience goes beyond the administrative aspect of social work which allowed me to see a different aspect of how licensed social workers apply their skills as a behavior analyst. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management, I worked as a teaching counselor at West Tennessee Family

My interest in social related courses dates back to my years in high school, where I started by being part of the school clubs and later on held a leadership position in my own class and another in one of the school’s biggest clubs, the Wildlife Club, both at the same time. Before I joined campus for my undergraduate degree, I had set my choice of courses in order of priority, in this case, Social Work Social Administration being top on my list because I felt the desire to enroll for that particular programme and explore more of it and today I can boldly say I am fulfilled. When I began my undergraduate program, I had the opportunity to be exposed to the full range of Social work courses, all of which tended to reinforce and solidify my intense interest in social work and its related concepts. I also had the opportunity to study a number of subjects in the other humanities, economics, social research among others and they were both enjoyable and enlightening, providing me with a new and different perspective on the world in which we live.

Every worthwhile journey begins with one step. My social work journey began when I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Utah in 2003. I thought my next step would be to immediately pursue a graduate degree. In my undergraduate career I had taken numerous classes from the College of Social and Behavioral Science and had done well in those classes. In my Social Work as a Profession course I had an assignment to shadow a social worker and write a paper about my experience. I chose to shadow my father-in-law, a social worker with over 30 years of experience, and in my paper I expressed my desire to go into the social work field. I knew I liked helping people. I knew I liked problem solving and critical thinking. I thought my 22 year-old self was ready to embark on that journey, but I wasn’t. I realize now that what I lacked at graduation was one crucial step… perspective. Over the past twelve years I have gained that much needed perspective and have taken many steps forward in my journey, and with those steps and that increased perspective, I now feel more fully prepared to begin my social work career.