Personal Statement Social Work

As I got older those thoughts were always on my mind. It wasn’t until I took a sociology class my senior year in high school that I learned about social work and its role in serving those in need. Learning about social welfare programs brought back all my memories and reassured me there were careers that fit my aspirations. At Glendale College I took more Sociology courses and found it to be a perfect fit for me. My favorite class was Introduction to Social Work since it introduced me to different sub fields within social work, working with homeless, distressed and low incomed families.

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 main reason for applying to the Simmons School of Social Work is that it is an accredited university with an excellent reputation as an educational institution and offers an MSW program that is predominantly online. I attended Thomas Edison State University online and earned my bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.9. Once I made the decision to continue my education, I searched for MSW programs that were available online with CSWE accreditation in compliance with New Jersey State social work licensure. I found that Simmons’s specialized program in clinical social work is well suited for my educational needs.

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

The pursuit of a doctoral degree is both exciting and humbling for me. It is exciting that I have a clear vision of the career I want to pursue as an academic, and humbling to think of the great opportunity I could have to teach future social workers. Early motivation to enter the field of social work was in response to adverse childhood experiences with domestic violence, parental substance abuse, poverty, and homelessness —further complicated by foster care intervention. My foster care experience included five foster placements, enrollment in countless schools, countless lost relationships, and a failed adoption. Though these experiences created much hardship, they have certainly promoted resilience and helped lead me to my current ambition of seeking a Ph.D. As a recipient of foster care intervention, I exited state custody through legal permanence. Through education, advocacy, and direct social work practice with youth in residential treatment, I acquired new skills and insight to addressing social and child welfare problems. I am excited for the opportunity to promote the field of social work in the classroom and improve the lives of youth in the foster care system through my research.

I am writing to express interest in appointment as a Core Faculty Member in Social Work at Walden University. Attached is my vita for your review.

I am interested in the MSW program at Walden University because of the objectives of the program to make sure that their students learn what it is that they are suppose too. I am also interested in the Master of Social Work program here at Walden because of the teachers working in the field and having firsthand knowledge about the field. The Master of Social Work program at Walden also have the concentration that I am interested in which is Children and Family Services. My plans for after I receive my degree is to become a license social worker. I also plan to start working at either the department of family and children services or at a local adoption agency.

I have always desired to work with children. Growing up in an urban area you’re able to observe numerous family types and see firsthand abuse and neglect. Sadly, this was my motivation to go into the Human Services field. To reach my goals, I realize that I must pursue a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. I would like to obtain my Masters, but I figure one degree at a time. Obtaining this degree would contribute towards my efforts in working as a Social worker.

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 have always had a strong desire to become a Social Worker. My whole life I have been described as a social butterfly. I take every opportunity I can get to be social, which is why no one in my family had any worries about my ability to make friends when I moved away from home to CSUMB. I take advantage of every workshop, every speaker, and every event that my school offers in order to gain more insight on the Social Work profession.

I have worked alongside social care teams for my local council for the last 8 years. Within this time I have realised that my desire to help families with their difficulties has blossomed and I wish to go that one step further and be able to support them from the frontline. My first step closer has been to enrol on an Access to Social Studies course where I am studying applicable subjects, Psychology, Sociology, Politics and Social Policy. I work with Educational Psychologists and professionals dedicated to helping children with learning difficulties. I recently completed a secondment to a social care team.

Trauma. Resilience. Empathy. These are the key words that inform my approach to social work. From my personal story to my professional experience in human services, I believe that learning the personal history of individuals, as well as understanding the social injustices that contribute to one’s oppressions is crucial to empower underserved and underrepresented communities. To me, the goal of social work is to identify social and economic barriers, promote systemic changes, and help individuals lead meaningful lives.