Social Work Personal Statement

Working in the social services field was always my dream. Whether working with children, family, adults, elderly etc. this career path is so broad it instills the hope of a career opportunity. My first year working in this field was in 2010 when I interned as an intake specialist in an outpatient drug treatment facility, while completing my bachelor’s degree in human services. Thereafter, I was able to branch off in various areas such as a case manager at a domestic violence shelter, housing specialist, substance abuse counselor and now a family services specialist.

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.

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 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 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.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest to work in a field of helping others. At first my focus was on youths and how I can help those individuals in need, but then I became more interested in working with elders who can not properly care for themselves. I also became interested in working with families that are going through a difficult time in life such as a divorce or a bad living environment. These thoughts greatly influenced my professional ambition. My desire to further formalize my love for helping others has gained my interest toward the field of social work.

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.

There are many reasons why I want to join the undergraduate program in social work. Many of these reasons come from both academic and personal experiences. As a child I lived in a poor neighborhood where I was surrounded by people who were experiencing poverty, homelessness, cultural and language barriers, unemployment, discrimination, and other problems. I also saw friends and family later in my life go through hardships that ranged from child abuse, domestic violence, to drug addiction. These experiences greatly affected how I saw the world.

I have chosen to pursue an MSW degree because I want to enter into a career that would be challenging, interesting and perhaps life-changing. Although I have a background in psychology, I’ve grown fond of the counseling aspect within the social work field. An MSW degree will allow me to work in different settings while gaining knowledge of the dynamics of complex issues that come with helping others. While working in positions that have exposed me to many groups of people, I have gained in depth knowledge of how dynamic and multidimensional humans can be. This is an understanding that I not only learn while working, but personally experience within my own household.

I am a Latina, a solider, and a soon to be Social Worker born to Dominican immigrants in an impoverish neighborhood in Spanish Harlem. I am the first in my family to purse a bachelor’s degree and would also like to be the first in my family to purse a Master’s degree. I will like to demonstrate to other Latino’s and the younger generation in my community that getting an advance degree is very possible. I knew that obtaining any degree would be financially challenging for me living in a single parent household. However, I know that being successfully is not an easy walk in the park.

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.

1. Social Work Knowledge I am interested in applying to the Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies. I intend to enroll in the Master of Social Work for the Fall 2018 semester.

Since I was a child, I always knew I wanted to be employed in a field that involved helping others in some fashion, such as teaching or counseling, and eventually realized social work was my calling. While I struggled to decide on a college to attend since I was two years younger than the average freshman, RIC seemed to be a great option and now, I could not be more thankful for the experience. The social work program here is truly inspiring and challenging and the connections I have made, both academically and socially, will last me a lifetime. Currently, I am a junior applying to the major this year with minors in sociology and gerontology. After earning my MSW, I intend to work with the elderly since this has become my passion over the years.

I am a wife and a mother of a seventeen years old daughter. I was inspired by my mother to reach my goal by getting a higher education and a career. My younger brother and I were raised by a single college educated mother (Master in Social Work) who nurtured and persuaded us to reach our goals. I received my associate degree in accounting in 1990 and later received my teaching degree from Temple University in 1998. My younger brother is a West Point graduate class of 2002 and later received his master from the University of Pennsylvania.

I have spent the past twenty years working in the social work field, and my passion has not wavered. I feel that I am a strong candidate to your program, because of the many valuable experiences in social work and my desire to continue to help others. I want very much to continue my education because it will open up more career opportunities to help people that I cannot with a bachelor’s degree. If I am accepted into your program, I feel that I am able to address obstacles to successfully complete the master’s program.