Personal Statement On Social Work

My intended major is Sociology. Once I earn my degree I intend to find a career in either social work or teaching. In choosing social work my focus will be low income families and programs that decrease social inequality. As a child I yearned for the ability to help people, to change someone’s life for the better and give them back the strength and hope they have lost through life’s battles. I gained this eagerness to provide assistance when my parents brought me to their homeland of Guatemala. Guatemala is a very poor country and I saw the despair and hopelessness of many while others still strived every day to elevate the lives of their family amidst poverty.

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 passion for helping the vulnerable is one reason I ‘am inspired to become a social worker. I also want to be available to provide support to those who have nowhere else to turn. My experience in social work has taught me to celebrate the small victories towards positive changes. I look forward to gaining the skills and knowledge to aid me in becoming a successful social worker.

The decision to take the clinical route as a second year MSW graduate student, was one that took no hesitation to make. My passion for children and the preservation of families have been a propelling factor in my Social Work career; both academically and professionally. These two entities have motivated me to remain steadfast on the journey to obtaining my MSW so I can continue to be a vessel for children and families who are in need of support and empowerment. The clinical spectrum of social work practice has strengthened my ability to work proficiently with multiple clients and perform well when assisting families in different realms of social work practice. The knowledge gained during my four years as an undergraduate BSW student and

Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. This simple yet powerful quote motivates me to remain steadfast in the mission of aiding others. I’m pursing a Masters in social work because by working in this field, I can educate, advocate, motivate, understand, and encourage resilience to clients from every walk of life. It is a profession that will allow me to practice both on a micro and macro level simultaneously. Lastly, working in social work gives me the capacity to challenge policies affecting disadvantaged communities.

One thing that I have always been certain of when it comes to my future is that I want to inspire, help, and have a positive impact on as much people as possible. I want to fight for those that have no voice and create any necessary social change in my community. The field of social work would help me accomplish that. Social work is a broad field where I would be able to work with various populations of people throughout the community ranging from children to the elderly. I believe that by pursuing a master’s degree in social work I will have a sense of deep satisfaction knowing that I will be prepared to face any obstacle in my future as a social worker. I am aware that social work can be challenging but knowing that I will be able to advocate for others that are helpless and fight for social justice will be very rewarding. I first became interested in social work seven years ago, after my aunt and her husband decided to become foster parents, I would help my aunt take care of the children, and they were all very sweet kids that I will never forget. My aunt and her husband were given the opportunity to adopt a 5-year-old girl and shortly after were able to adopt her newborn sister. It was a very joyous day for our family when the adoption was finalized. During that time I met their social worker, she was a very kind and knowledgeable woman that inspired me to pursue a career in social work. I admired how passionate she was about her job and how much she enjoyed making an

As a woman diagnosed with social anxiety,I was entrusted to be under the care of a social worker so as to help me manage my disorder. Personally, I have gone through so many experiences which collectively made me develop a deeper insight into the roles of social workers as compared to other health caregivers. Besides that, I have seen a lot of transformative supports to people who have various social problems provided through the selfless care of the social workers. Subsequently, this further fueled my ambition to study and support the most disadvantaged and vulnerable persons in the society. I firmly believe that my motivation towards helping

In applying to Arizona State University’s School of Social Work (ASU SSW) Ph.D. program, I aspire to peruse a career as a social work educator. I plan to use this platform and newly acquired skills developed with the university, to advance the field

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

The question asked “what is my understanding of the social work profession”, social work is a field, where people are compassionate about helping others live comfortably within their environment. By providing them with services needed within that moment. It serves as a guide to people, who are not aware of resources that is available to them. The social work profession generates the needs and emotions of other people. I imagine the social work profession as a listening ear. For instance, a client might be

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.

Throughout my life, I have always loved helping people and enhancing them to be the best person they can be. My purpose for choosing to pursue social work as a degree is through the burning desire I have upheld to support individuals achieve their goals. I consider myself as someone who is keen on acquiring new skills and knowledge of understanding on a daily basis. This is due to my motivation and determination as those two things are essential to sustain as an individual. From previous experience obtained by working in a Care home & Nursery, I have always had a passion to guide individuals who are less able to do so.

I am a young woman of Vietnamese heritage; born and raised as a resident in the United States since birth. I graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Health Science field with a minor in Psychology. Though I have completed my undergraduate studies, I feel that my academic path is not yet complete in that there is more I can contribute to the field of social work, given further guidance and education. Through both my obstacles and accomplishments, I see that with further education combined with my drive and determination to help families and children achieve stability, I can contribute further and create a lasting impact not only towards my community, but in a macro sense, change the world for the better.

When I was six and placed in the Foster Care System for three years away from my mother, it made me value the importance of family one needs a young age. This childhood experience I hold with me will benefit in the field of social work, which is what I want to pursue in college as my degree. I believe one of the most difficult obstacles I had to face being taken away from my mother while not knowing the problem of the situation and learning how handle at such a young age to be away from my mother's warmth. I give complete gratitude to my mother who fought her best to win us over when the odds were against her, and to the thoughtful social workers who understood the situation my siblings and me. As I now enter college I have taken a look at

My interest in pursuing a graduate education social work was fostered by my observation of the usage of the health care system. Through interactions with those around me, while volunteering and working in my community, synagogue, and camps, I saw how often the health care system was not conducive to providing the change in others lives. These opportunities of working with youth and families provided me a glimpse of how there was a need by individuals for emotional and psychological support and it was not being met. I saw how often times these individuals did not know to how to utilize resources and obtain support services. Frequently I saw how when an individual or their family member had a mental health crisis, the situation was compounded