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Social Work Personal Statement

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The following essay is based on the statement of intent I submitted with my application for the BSW program and furthers my reflection on how my personal growth and development throughout my personal, professional and educational experiences influence my outlook and future goals as a returning professional. Before entering the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at McGill I worked as a health care activist and was motivated to continue working in this capacity after completing the degree, however, through the various classes, course material, and peer discussions I have been able to deepen my thought process and refine my critical thinking on how I can use the multiple components of my life experiences to better contribute to the solution …show more content…

These concepts combined with my experiences with poverty, abuse, neglect, stigma, and the restrictions these elements had on my ability to meet developmental milestones at the same rate as my peers’ influences my association with others who are different from me but are experiencing the same hardships. I also recognize that, at times, I distance myself when working with parents who have similar tendencies as my mother, to be abusive/neglectful to their own children and blame them or others for it. My experience with poverty and my Grandmere’s guidance on the importance of self-sustainability also influences the manner I used when working with impoverished populations, as I understand how elements of poverty are also linked to social exclusion. It is largely because of the course material from Human Development Across the Lifespan, Anti-Oppressive Practice, and Critical Thoughts and Ethics that I am able to draw these lines and make connections. I am also motivated to strengthen families’ support systems and ties to their community so that they can improve their quality of life. If it were not for the course material from Approaches to Community Practice and Working With Families and Individuals I & II, I would not have been able to clarify my motivations by naming my thoughts, feelings, values and relating them to theory, and learning …show more content…

I did not even realize that my occupation as an activist was referred to as indirect-social work until 2010, seven years after I secured a paying job in an activist group. However, I remember the moment when I realized I needed to go back to school. I was in Egypt; I had just spent the night climbing Mount Sinai to see the sunrise over the Sinai Mountains. There are thousands of people who follow a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai each year to stand on the very spot Moses stood when he received the Ten Commandments. My guide told me that some African families save money for a decade so that one honoured family member can participate in the pilgrimage. After spending 6 hours climbing, I sat on the highest peak next to a groups of people from various nationalities, who were singing hymns and praying with their faces and lips pressed against the stones. I felt overwhelmed with emotions, I felt touched, blessed, and honoured to have the privilege of being present and to have the opportunity to observe people in such a state of complete absorption in their faith. I am not at all a religious person but I respect and appreciate how for some people their faith is the driving force of their lives and how their associations offer social networks and essential services (house, food banks, elder-care) that increase the quality of life

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