Bernadette Carroll Personal Statement

For Mrs. Hewes the Introduction to Social Work class we were asked to interview a licensed Social Worker and write an experience paper about the interview. Finding a social worker to interview wasn’t very hard for me because many of my mother’s friends got their masters in social work, but not many of them actually got their license except for one of them. The licensed social worker that I interviewed goes by the name of Tanya Hill. Tanya got her Masters of Social Work at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida in 2000, as well as her license and she now resides in Panama City, Florida. Tanya is someone that I have known since I was a little girl and someone that I definitely aspire to be like once I graduate. My interview with Tanya was over the phone since I did not have time to drive back to Florida to do a face to face one, but while we were on the phone every answer she gave me to the questions I asked were quite interesting.

I envision myself assisting children and teens of troubled and abusive past, showing them that they do have a choice, that there are myriad options available to them. Their cycle of abuse will end, no more will they be told they are less than someone, less than a dream they dream. There is no better way to break that cycle, then with someone who has been in that precise spot. I aim to maintain a constant and consistent path to Social work. I want to continue gaining the valuable insights into the work of clinicians, to see what I can do to make a chance, to help contribute to the difference they

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.

For this assignment, I decided to interview my aunt because she has been a social worker for about thirty years, and has a lot of experience. She attended Dominican college in Orangeburg, New York where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She then went to graduate school at Montclair State in New Jersey where she received her master’s in psychology. After this, she decided to go back to school for her MSW, which she received from SUNY Albany. Since she graduated, the only profession she has worked in is social work, and she is now a licensed clinical social worker. She loves what she does and is glad that she made the decision to become a social worker.

The Circle Center has two social workers, Jay Burkhardt and Erin Brunette. I interviewed Erin Burnette January 30, 2017 in her office at The Circle Center. When I first walked into her office, I noticed how clean and neat it was which was surprising to me because I always imagined a social worker’s office to be unorganized with files everywhere. As I looked around I noticed pictures of her family and historical pictures, leaving me under the impression that she was a strong advocate for human rights. From the looks of her room, I assumed that having pictures of her family in her helps her keep stress at a minimum while at work. Erin Burnette, from Knoxville, Tennessee moved to Richmond in 1999 to attend Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her master in social work. Erin also has a master of divinity from Baptist Seminary at Richmond. With her master of divinity, Erin served as a Hospice Chaplain for ten years. As of today, she withholds sustainable credibility due to her Erin’s social work career began in the year of 2004 but she feels that she has been involved with social work her entire life. During our interview, Erin explained why she chose social work, she says that her parents and her

I have always known that it is my passion to help people. This is why upon graduating I attended Mohawk College to pursue a career as an Educational Assistant. After receiving my diploma I began my career helping children with special needs. On a daily basis I have interactions with social workers and children who are involved with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society. I have had many eye opening experiences during my time spent with them. I have worked alongside our school’s Social Worker and have gained insight into mental health. Being an E.A. is rewarding, but I have come to the realization that I aspire to do more for children in need; I wish to become a social worker.

While as a Candy Striper at Memorial Regional Hospital, she developed an interest in Social Work from a health perspective but her main interest began when she read a book “Black like me” which was about a white male who was interested in race relations in the country where he would take drugs to make his skin darker and travel to different areas to try to experience what a black male would experience. Because of this, she chose to be in the Social Work Program.

Tonya started her social work career as an outpatient therapist. She enjoyed working with her clients, however she did not enjoy working clinically for the entire workday. Soon her supervisor asked her if she could take on some administrative responsibilities. Tonya agreed and from then on her administrative/supervisor responsibilities grew. She would go to community meetings on behalf of the agency, supervise interns, attend speaking engagements, and implement programs. By this point her job was 50% clinical and 50%

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 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.

McIntyre informed me that having a Bachelor Degree in Social Work was rewarding; Nevertheless, she wanted to become an inspiring therapist. Therefore, she applied for the master program at Arkansas State University. She was accepted and in the summer of 2014, she started grad school. She did her additional training for the grad school at Day Spring Behavior Health. She was trained in diversity, social work value and ethical, and economic injustice with clients. Afterward completion of 60 credit hours and 400 field hours, she graduated with her Master Degree in Social Work, May 2016.

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

The decision to pursue my education in social work at Dalhousie University was not an easy one. While I was growing up, my career choice changed all of them time, but I always knew that I wanted to do something fulfilling, in which I could “help” and support people. My mom was a nurse and always loved helping people; I always figured I would follow in her footsteps, however I learned at an early age that sciences do not come easy to me. Unfortunately, my mom lost her battle to breast cancer when I was eight years old, so I hope that by me helping people socially, rather than medically like she did, will continue her legacy.

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.

Starting from being a certified nursing assistant, to becoming a unit secretary for a hospital that specialize in wound care, I have always known that I wanted to help individuals in need. However, I noticed that I was not happy with helping individuals in medical need. It wasn’t until I decided to continue my education that I introduced to the world of social work. Going up with a single mother that suffered from drug abuse, my family depended on social services for a lot of assistance, from everything such as food stamps to family counseling. This life experience helped guide my thoughts on pursuing social work as a career. I know that I want to help individuals that are down on their luck, but I want to take it one step farther, by providing individual counseling to adults that may need more one on one time, than what is normally given from a social service agency. Counseling will also give me a chance to do what I love most and that is to talk and get to know the individuals that I am helping make like changing decisions. Working as a clinical social work has my interest because it does not put limits on what I can do or who I can help, and it will set me up for my future goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker. Being my own boss and changing my community is my dream job, opportunity and goal. I am currently on my way with changing my community and living my dream, because I am currently working for a non-profit