Becoming A Master 's Degree For Social Work

Completing my master’s degree in social work creates a better opportunity and a brighter career path. I am extremely excited about working in this field. The thought of helping

There are several goals that I hope to achieve by pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work. Pursuing a MSW will provide me with the knowledge, tools, and skills-set that will be fundamental to the achievement my career goals outlined below.

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.

Within the past twenty-five years, my life experiences have led me to become passionate about social work. Although my journey in social work hasn 't been something I’ve always known I wanted to do when I was young, a combination of personal, professional, and academic experiences has pointed me into the direction where I am today. As the oldest out of four siblings, my family has always worked hard to get where they’re at now. Knowledge of my parent 's personal; as well as, their professional struggle of not having a college degree has led them to work hard for everything they 've received in their life. Acknowledging what my parents have gone through has pushed me to receive my Associates in Liberal Arts so that I will able to graduate with my Bachelor of Social Work in the Spring 2017.

With a master 's level education in social work, I see myself envisioning clients’ health and well-being. As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificates in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through counselling for victims of trauma.

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.

Part I (Autobiographical Essay):  What were the significant factors that influenced your choice of social work? What skills and experiences do you have that will contribute to your success as a graduate student and social work professional? How is the GCSW a good place for you to build on those skills? 2 pages, double spaced, 12 point font

On many levels, I secretly desire to be this professional social worker that has experienced many different realms of social work practice. As I maneuver through my first couple days of field, many questions run through my mind as to what’s to be expected of a master’s level social work. Although, I’ve only had the pleasure of working children and families as a social worker; it has broaden my desire to want to know more.

As I have a passion for helping children and an interest for pursuing school social work, I decided to interview my mother’s co-worker, Belle Walker. Belle is an exceptional children’s (EC) social worker for Union County public schools and works directly with students and families who need assistance finding resources to help them succeed in the classroom. Belle is a very passionate person and loves her work. During her undergraduate, she held an internship at a transitional homeless shelter working with families. As she attended graduate school in Illinois, Belle worked in a domestic violence shelter as a counselor during the nights. After graduate school she decided to move back to Charlotte and found a job working with A Child’s Place as a caseworker for homeless families through the school system. She has now been working with Union County public schools for three years and plans to work with the school system for as long as she can because she feels that she has found fitting.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to pursue a career in social work. Helping others is something I have always been passionate about and I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Throughout my life, I have always been the person my friends would go to when something was wrong and they needed to talk. Growing up, I also experienced close family members struggle with addiction and mental health problems. I have seen how damaging these experiences can be on an individual. I have also witnessed the effects these experiences can have on family relationships. My personal occurrences have instilled in me a further desire to become a social worker.

I have been engaged in social work practice for over 12 years, and I regularly integrate my clinical social work practice experience into my classroom so that students have a sense of what their future careers might look like. In addition, I serve as academic advisor and mentor for approximately 25 students of a variety of ages and experiences. I see my role as an advisor as both mentor and guide. I also use advising to help socialize students to the expectations of social work practice. I have also served as field liaison to students completing practicum, in which I have provided support and guidance for students so that each student has a meaningful practice learning experience prior to entering the field. Additionally, in my current role, I have provided intensive mentoring to students of color and students with disabilities so that they continue to stay engaged in their learning

I decided to apply to the social work master because I have encountered a lot of different experiences, problems, and achievements over the past four years. Similarly, I have always had a deep desire for helping others in a caring and supportive way. I faced many obstacles through my adolescent years such as: having an eating disorder, self-harm, and depression. After going through therapy, I realized that I wanted to help young people to overcome problems and to be able to help them to move forward in life. I want to make them comprehend that change is possible as long as the person want it.

I moved to California three years ago to pursue a Master's degree in social work at USC. During the time I have lived here, I have gained invaluable experience working full-time in the social work field. My first social work related job in California was working at an IMD step-down program for transitional aged youths and adults with dual diagnoses. From there, I began working in the Wraparound program at Aviva Family and Children's Services as a Child and Family Specialist. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with these agencies but am also very excited to begin graduate study at USC's School of Social Work since my graduate education was the reason for my move to southern California.

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.

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.