Social Work Personal Statement

I began my social work studies over twenty-five years ago at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. I never questioned my decision to pursue a career in social work; I loved my classes and worked hard to learn as much as possible. But the information I gained in undergraduate school simply opened the doors of my education. Most of my learning has come through constant questioning, personal research, and especially through work and life experience. Through these experiences I have encountered the challenges faced by individuals, families, and society and have been able to further access and develop the innate personality traits and abilities that originally led me to study social work as well as learn and practice the many skills necessary to be a successful mental health counselor.

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.

I come to Fordham University with expectations of completing my Masters of Art degree in Social Service. This will increase my chances of being a successful child Therapist. I am aware, prepared and committed to taking a advantage of all the necessary resources that Fordham University has to offer including tutoring. I am also prepared for any educational challenges that I may face during my completion of graduate school. My personal, academic and profession experiences allows me to continue my education in a Masters of Social Service degree program.

I have decided to pursue a Master’s degree in social work in order to provide the best services possible to the people who will be relying on me in the future. I know this is not an easy step; however, I am determine to get the best education possible for myself, my parents who have never attended school, my fiancé who has set his education aside to support me emotionally and financially, and lastly for those who do not have access to an

Living in a low-income community in the Bronx and witnessing the limited opportunities that minorities are often offered made me understand that the society we are living in does not promote equality and justice for all. For this and many other reasons, I believe that unprivileged populations need people like social workers who are dedicated to obtaining and promoting social justice in places where hope has been lost and to helping people to better understand their own situations to be able to deal with them emotionally. My inclination towards social justice and equality comes from values that have emerged due to my commitment of making a difference in people’s lives in a caring and supportive way. This motivates me even more to want to advance my education because I deeply believe that education is the pathway to promoting positive values in our

When I first started into the Social work field was because of my son, Evan, who has a medical diagnose of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. In the past 11 year of his life, I have worked with many professional from teachers to councilors but it was not until my family and I moved to Colorado, that we meet a School social worker that was very helpful in navigating the school system with a child with special needs. I started the social work program at Pikes Peak Community Collage because I wanted to work in the school systems and help children and their parents navigate the public school system insuring that the child is receiving all support and services guaranteed by the Americans with Disability Act. I did not want another family to not have access to life changing resources just because they were never informed of them.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest to work in a field of helping others. At first my focus was on youths and how I can help those individuals in need, but then I became more interested in working with elders who can not properly care for themselves. I also became interested in working with families that are going through a difficult time in life such as a divorce or a bad living environment. These thoughts greatly influenced my professional ambition. My desire to further formalize my love for helping others has gained my interest toward the field of social work.

There are many reasons why I want to join the undergraduate program in social work. Many of these reasons come from both academic and personal experiences. As a child I lived in a poor neighborhood where I was surrounded by people who were experiencing poverty, homelessness, cultural and language barriers, unemployment, discrimination, and other problems. I also saw friends and family later in my life go through hardships that ranged from child abuse, domestic violence, to drug addiction. These experiences greatly affected how I saw the world.

Being the secretary and a board member of the Human Services Club at Moreno Valley College has also influenced me to pursue social work. I had the privilege of working with social work professors and professionals throughout the last 3 years. The knowledge that I have gained from them has provided a reinforcement that social work is I want to do. My club advisor, James Banks, has also been a great influence and counselor. Every day, our experiences that we go through change us. We never stop evolving. Social workers never stop learning new strategies to help their clients. Taking each experience from each client and using it to help others

I am pursuing a graduate degree in social work at this time because there is a great need for social workers to enhance the social well-being of disenfranchised persons. When I was growing up educational, environmental, and economic inequalities in my neighborhood meant hardship and uncertainty for youth and families. Witnessing the unaddressed trauma from these hardships in the community became a growing concern for me. Social workers are needed to assist with remedying the plight of the poor and disenfranchised.

My path to a college education has been bumpy and full of roadblocks. The path has not always been clear, but I remain focus on my goals so I don’t look in any direction but ahead. My commitment and motivation to study Social Work came about during my temporary position at One Stop Career Center and volunteering in case management. For example, working amongst case workers or medical social workers that provide community resources shined a light on my future. These professionals may also act as liaisons in court cases; report particular physical or substance abuse; and provide consultation to individuals seeking employment.

Since I was a child, I always knew I wanted to be employed in a field that involved helping others in some fashion, such as teaching or counseling, and eventually realized social work was my calling. While I struggled to decide on a college to attend since I was two years younger than the average freshman, RIC seemed to be a great option and now, I could not be more thankful for the experience. The social work program here is truly inspiring and challenging and the connections I have made, both academically and socially, will last me a lifetime. Currently, I am a junior applying to the major this year with minors in sociology and gerontology. After earning my MSW, I intend to work with the elderly since this has become my passion over the years.

I have spent the past twenty years working in the social work field, and my passion has not wavered. I feel that I am a strong candidate to your program, because of the many valuable experiences in social work and my desire to continue to help others. I want very much to continue my education because it will open up more career opportunities to help people that I cannot with a bachelor’s degree. If I am accepted into your program, I feel that I am able to address obstacles to successfully complete the master’s program.

Growing up, I couldn’t imagine myself studying social work. Never pictured myself ever trying to work for Child Welfare especially. I didn’t like what social workers represented and I also didn’t like how they made my siblings and I feel. After many years later I am about to graduate with my bachelors in Social work and applying to the Calswec program. Studying social work here at Humboldt state really gave me a different perspective and a positive one too.

I am applying to the two year program at Stony Brook University because I want to further my education so that I can pursue my goal of helping others achieve a successful and productive life. My passion originates from realizing that there is a need for social workers who can make a difference in people’s life by being supportive and providing the necessary aid needed for everyday survival. Therefore, I believe by completing my master’s degree in social work I can help build a better world by providing care and services that is imperative and vital for survival. There have been many experiences that have influenced my goal to be a social worker. I have learned through personal and profession experience that helping people can have a huge impact.