Personal Narrative: A Career As A Social Worker

I chose social working as my career because many other people go through tough situations and have a difficult time talking to relatives or friends to help them through a tough situation. I thought of becoming a social worker so I can have the ability to change the lives of others. Social work is one of those careers you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. I want to become a social worker because life isn’t about just helping yourself it’s about helping others as well, which is what social workers do for a living. Child and family social workers protect children and families in need of assistance. Many families and children don’t feel comfortable talking to just anyone about obstacles they have faced in their lives which is why

I can say that being a social worker was never in my plans. I started from Liberal Arts, because I wasn’t decided on my career choice. I took almost all courses, when I got an advice from one of my friends to try Health Information Technology. I gave it a chance and I didn’t realize how time flied by and I graduated. My dream always was to work with children. When I graduated and took my internship, that was the time, when I understood that I made the wrong choice. I needed to search for another career, because I understood, that it would not be what I meant. My father is physical therapist and he gave me and advice to think and to do some research about Social Worker. This time, I did the most research that I could, in order to not repeat my mistake again. I instantly knew, that this what I needed. All over the world, there is and will always be abuse. That’s the reality of it, but now I’m studying for Social Worker here at Lehman College, because I would like to be working toward changing a child’s reality one day, I am changing my knowledge every time I come to class, and changing my life one step at a time. I believe that it all starts with me, and while I may not be able to save the whole world, I will be able to save and help at least small part of it. I currently work in the family practice as a receptionist. My best days are those when I able to help people and provide them with all the information needed. Every day is different.

The history of mental health in the United States show a robust movement towards the mental healthcare system we have today. Prior to the 19th century, individuals with mental health issues were widely considered to be demonically possessed, thus contributing to the stigmatization of mental illness and the proliferation of poor treatment conditions. However, in the 1800s, there was a dramatic change in mental healthcare in the U.S. The government took a proactive role in treating the mentally ill, leading to the dawn of state psychiatric facilities.

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 interest in social work developed during college. I always had a interest in helping others in one way or another. I joined a sorority in college, Delta Sigma Theta, which is based off of community service. During the week I would volunteer to tutor children that were struggling in certain areas of school. I would talk to these children and explain to them the importance of education and try to influence them as much as possible to try their hardest in everything that they do. I would also go to nursing homes, with other member of our

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.

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.

I am passionate about many things but I want to find a profession that will help me accomplish encouraging people to take action in fixing their livelihood instead of being a passive bystander. I want to motivate struggling individuals with the services that would be provided so they can get back on their feet and enjoy all the amazing things life has to offer. I don’t believe “I” decided to be a social worker. I was born to be a social worker. I believe it was a part of me from day one. Social work has influenced me in wanting to make a difference in the world. I knew I would be in the field of helping but thought I would be a teacher. I actually switched majors halfway through college because I did not feel fulfilled. I hope once I have finished and get my degree, I can use the gift that I have been given to change someone’s life for the better. Being a Social Worker is about empowering someone and inspire them to help themselves and I know that I have what it takes. There isn’t one particular thing or someone that has influenced my decision in becoming a professional helper. There were several incidents in my life as well as people that I have come across throughout my life. Events like Hurricanes Katrina impacted my immediate surroundings and drew me even closer to the real work of social workers. I can’t pinpoint an exact person or event that sealed the deal for me because I have come in contact with

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.

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.

Before I pursued a career in social work and I had the pleasure of learning about the elderly, I was very biased towards them. This is mainly due many negative stereotypes and connotations that I heard about them and I had very little experience dealing with them. My grandparents died when I was very young, so I was never around any senior citizens. I was under the impression that most elderly was surly, rude and dismissive of young people. Originally, I had thought that the elderly was uninterested in keeping up with today’s society and preferred to live as social outcasts.

Starting at a young age around the world children are asked what they want to be when they grow. For young children it should not even be a thought, you can barely express your emotions to others. We put such pressure on kids at a young age to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives and to pick the right profession. The typical five year old will tell you they want to be the common doctor, cop, or actor. I was one of those children that gave a generic answer.

A social worker has a very important job. Social workers help children and families in need of food, homes, and health care. They help children have a brighter future. There are many different types of social work. There are mental health, child and family, elementary, and high school social workers.

I have strayed from the field of social work a couple of times. I pursued different career paths only to realize that I had no drive or desire to keep pursuing them. I have always thought that when doing something you like; you should have a burning passion for it.

Recognizing myself a profession of social work has been difficult in some situations and other times I was presentable during my practicum that made me a professional. I experience having a difficult understanding what to do in a situation where it would lead me being unprofessional, but before doing so, I redirected myself to keep myself crossing that line. I kept myself in order by reminding myself that I represent SUNY Fredonia and myself as an individual. When I was faced with these experiences, I recall what was taught in class, what professors told us and what I wanted from this experience. This helped me determine whenever I faced a situation whether good or bad, it was determined by me how I was going to act.