Family Studies Personal Statement

Starting my career as a social worker and working with children and families is where I feel as though I belong. I have the compassion, the drive and the withstanding endurance to make the area of child and family social work my passion. Working with children requires patience, dedication, resilience and so many other trusting characteristics. Relationships within children’s immediate families have a profound impact on their state of being. Becoming a child and family social worker is undeniably tough and arduous work but the reward of seeing families meet their set goals and becoming a stronger more united family unit come to fruition surpasses anything else. When I become a child and family social worker, my job days will be over and my career starts. Going to worker everyday knowing that I’m making a difference will be the best feeling. A great person once said, “It’s your mistakes that make you human, and it’s your humanity that makes you influential.”

Being a parent transformed me in unexpected ways. I found myself wanting to provide for my daughter and later my son the same security and benefits my parents had provided for me. I found a job at University Children’s Center. UCC provides care for children from the ages of 6 weeks to 6 years and I wanted to be close to my children. I worked with all the age groups but found my niche in the infant program. I enjoyed the close bonds I was able to form with both the babies and their families. I took great pride in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. I took classes to become Infant Nursery Room Supervisor. Once again, I excelled in my studies and enjoyed the learning process. Bringing the information I learned into the classroom was

One of the greatest pieces of advice that I have received is that if you do something that you love, you will never work a day in your life. It took me changing my major three times to find what I am truly passionate about. After I changed my major to child and family studies I enjoyed learning everyday and applying what I learned from class into the real world. The knowledge that I obtained through my classes assisted me through my experiences as a nanny, a student worker for the department of child and family studies at Tarleton, and lastly through my internship at Gladney Center for Adoption this past summer. I had thought about pursuing a MSW since I switched to child and family studies. The few social work classes I was enrolled in have been some of my favorite material. Ultimately my internship through Gladney and my passion for adoption led to my final decision to pursue a masters in social work.

I started substitute teaching at various elementary, middle and high schools in the Jacksonville area. In October of 2010, I obtained full time employment at Youth Crisis Center as a Youth Care Specialist. My role was to assist young adults in the foster care system. While at Youth Crisis Center, I was acknowledged for my dedication and excellence in the work place and was promoted to team lead. In March 2011, I was laid off and regained employment at the Mental Health Resource Center, as a Family Services Counselor (FSC). As I held this position, I worked with families through the foster care system who had experienced past trauma of abuse, abandonment or neglect. I held a case load of 15-25 families as I coordinated services to ensure each of their need were met. The types of services provided included medical, dental, educational, therapeutic, parenting, mental health and substance abuse to name a few. Likewise, I prepared reports on a weekly basis to be submitted to the courts regarding the families progress or lack thereof. With all intent to reunify families there were instances that reunification was not deemed to be in the child(s) best interest. In such cases as these it was also my responsibility to testify in open court advocating for other permanency options for the child. I found my position as a FSC to be both challenging and rewarding at the same time. I remember working with a family whose

Pursuing a career in nursing brings me an internal satisfaction beyond words. I enjoy being around people and I feel with my caring and empathetic soul, I can use that to heal the mind, body and souls of my patients. My reason for wanting to return to college comes from my desire to be in a position to make an impact on someone’s life. In my current position I provide assistance to individuals on a daily basis, but it is not satisfying my need to help heal. I am currently 30 years old and I love children and I am eager to work with children and when I would like to know about their little bodies so that I can be aware of how to help them. I naturally have the need to nurture and protect others. I have 2 nieces and when each of them was born I was so impressed by the level of care that the NICU nurses provided to

History is my academic passion -- specifically the archeological and genealogical bases of individuals and families. But setting aside bones, genetics, and all that fun evidence, I also love to study the more anecdotal past and present situation of a family: where they've lived, what they've done, and how they've done it. Studying my own family, i've found that neither of my parents, or my soon to be step-dad has obtained a degree, and with my older brother choosing the armed forces route, I'm left to navigate on my own and chart new territory for my family -- I will be the first to get a college degree. Hopefully my choice will influence my younger sibling to also pursue her goals. I believe by making this decision, to be the first to

Since a young age, I have always felt a special connection with children and how they are affected by physical disabilities and psychological disturbances. In this instance, all I can do is volunteer at different organizations to achieve my life purpose. Helping children feel better has always been what makes me feel glad. Currently, I am in the second semester of my psychology major, which I plan to extend to the fullest. Becoming one of the most distinguished women in child psychology in my residential area, being able to help children overcome traumas and frustrations, would stand for my goal completed. My belief is that every bit of who you become as an adult is because of how you felt as a child. I want to be there for those low-income families with children with behavioral disorders, who are not able to help pay for the consultations. When I have enough funds necessary my plan is to establish my kids' organization focused on helping children with a mental

I have always loved working with children. My first job was at Ellison Youth Inc. summer camp and I was a counselor. I interacted with campers between the ages of six through ten. Based on the managers observed she offered me a position during the school year with the after school program. Any environment I’m in I always seem to gravitate towards children and this is when I learned that working with children was my passion. Prior to this time I had no idea this was my passion I knew I just knew I enjoyed working with kids. There was always a sense of self-gratification. So when I found out I was pregnant I was in for a treat.

As long as I can remember I have always wanted to make a change for the better in the lives of other people. I love, enjoy and am passionate about working with children. It wasn’t until my little cousins born addicted to drugs and alcohol which caused developmental and intellectual disabilities and some communication deficiencies, did I begin to develop an interest in the behaviors of others. Throughout high school I would volunteer at hospitals, child care centers, and cerebral palsy foundations. I have over 15 years work experience applied behavior

When I first moved to New York as a newly-arrived immigrant nine years ago, I was amazed, among other things, at the diversity and opportunities that I observed around me. It was equally shocking, as I underwent the process of becoming a New Yorker, to see the uneven geographical spread of these great opportunities throughout the city. Specifically, I am speaking of the disadvantages of children in low income neighborhoods with higher crime rates than surrounding areas.

Throughout most of my adult life I have worked with children and families in different capacities and roles. Most recently, I worked with children and families in the role of school social worker in Jackson County Schools, GA for my graduate school field placement. All of my experience there involved working with children and families in some capacity, whether it was advocating for services for a family and student that needed them or being a liaison between the school and parents and making sure parents had the opportunities and understanding to be a part of their child's educational needs. I went on many home visits to talk with parents and met with students during school to assess any concerns teachers or administrators had. Prior to my

When I consider family systems, I am reminded of a metaphor I heard while in undergraduate school about a mobile. A mobile is used to soothe an infant, normally placed above a crib or basinet. Each of its parts are in balance, when working correctly, however if one section becomes off balance the objects become out of sync. This is true with families. If each member of the family unit is doing their part, there is complete balance or homeostasis (Henson). This balance is viewed as a healthy family system. However, if one part of the unit becomes off balance, it disrupts the whole unit causing an unhealthy response with possible long term consequences. As families grow, each member plays an equally important role in the family unit. Children learn quickly the importance of relationships and adapt quickly to their environment. No one can deny the family unit is the most complex system in existence.

As I endured the prospect of creating a genogram, I allowed myself to reflect and interpret the history and impacts that affected my family. During my review of my genogram, I was able to consider my family within a multigenerational, diverse, and socio-political context. By creating a genogram, a dialogue was started within my head and with my partner about which family traits, issues, strengths, and resiliencies made me who I am today. Subsequently, this dialogue made me aware that being raised in a small family has many advantages along with some disadvantages when acquiring information about influences and the history of preceding generations. Consequently, I did not have to contend with many conflicting recollections but I did have to rely mostly on my own memory, public records, and journals to piece together my genogram. Although all things discovered and recollected are not always fortunate on the surface, they subsist as basis to my personal resilience and strength as a gay man.

It wasn’t until junior year of high school, I realized I had a strong passion for teaching and helping others. When I was a child, dress-up and tea parties were never an option for my “play-date” guests. I was always pretending to be a teacher, while my guest landed the role as the student in class along with all of my stuffed animals and dolls. I have always dreamed of becoming a teacher, but it wasn’t until I reached high school I realized I wanted to become a high school teacher. For a while I was unsure of what I would like to teach. All I knew was I wanted to teach at a secondary level. During senior year, I found my passion. I realized Family and Consumer Science was the path for me.

No one can’t meet a family like mine’s. My family is well diversified. Every family member plays an important role in all my family’s lives. In my family, there are four people: my father, my mother, my little brother and me. My father is one who brings money home and is also responsible for organizing and planning family trips. My mother is the one who is in charge for making meals and makes sure everyone eats at the appropriate times. My little brother is the pet of the family. He actually doesn’t have any responsibilities, for he’s the pet. I am the rock of support in my family. I always go beyond my parents’ expectations. I also support my younger cousins and little brother, by being a role model that they can look up to. Another