Why I Want To Pursue A Degree In 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.

Social workers form relationships with people and assist them to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems. Social work involves engaging not only with clients themselves but their families and friends as well as working closely with other organisations including the police, local authority departments, schools and the probation service.

Social work is a unique profession for those with a strong desire helping people to improve their lives. People who decide to do this type of job they need to be strong enough to cope with the family’s problems and they should be steadfast to find a solution to help others in the process of making their lives better. Many different professions by their action can help people, but the social work job is on the top the most attractive to me where I can use my skills acquired in college and use knowledge from my experience to help others in need.

I have decided to pursue a Master’s degree in social work in order to provide the best services possible to the people who will be relying on me in the future. I know this is not an easy step; however, I am determine to get the best education possible for myself, my parents who have never attended school, my fiancé who has set his education aside to support me emotionally and financially, and lastly for those who do not have access to an

In the media, the social work profession is painted in a certain light that is not as true as it seems to be. Before people can judge the profession, it is vital to understand what a social worker is. Social work is an occupation where a person works with people to provide them with essentials, such as a job or financial support. Without social workers, many people would be unattended for and living in poor conditions. It is a profession that is an invisible hand in society, helping people in situations when others would not.

When I first entered the field of social work at Southwest Mississippi Community College, I was clueless as to what the social work profession entailed. At Southwest MS Community College, we mostly focused on perquisites and a few classes related to family. After, leaving Southwest MS Community College and entering Jackson State University, I realized my previous college did not teach me anything relating to the field of social work. However, my entry in my first class Ethics and Values at Jackson State University taught me about the six core values in social work, such as service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. Upon, my entry into JSU, Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) program, I understood that social work was not about assisting only children. There is masses of people who need, social workers to advocate for better housing, food, medical care and other basic necessities to survive everyday life.

So what is social work? The York University - School of Social Work (2015), mission statement suggests that social work practice affirms personal experiences influenced by social structure and addresses social injustices, oppression and other problems current to our society and that critical social work practitioners are the agents of change.

I am interested in becoming a master-level social worker to gain the skills necessary to become a well-rounded advocate for change. Likewise, I am interested in having the opportunity to work with faculty who are conducting research and making an impact in the Charlotte community. As a social worker, I plan on working towards eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline, which directs youth into the juvenile and criminal justice system without taking into consideration how social problems, such a poverty, abuse, and drugs, directly affects their behavior. In addition, I would like to tackle the issues surrounding adolescent sexuality, including teenage pregnancy, STI transmission, and sex education in schools. My target population are vulnerable youth within urban cities. Since The University of North Carolina Charlotte is located in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the nation, I have decided to seek admission into the MSW program. Having the opportunity to utilize the skills I will be learning in the classroom while working hands on with my target population is of utmost importance to me. Upon graduating with my MSW, I plan on continuing my work in the Charlotte community and working as a full-time school social worker. UNC Charlotte’s MSW programs puts emphasis on serving vulnerable populations, which is congruent with the type of people I would like to work with.

Social workers are unique in the way that they look at many different aspects of a problem, from the individual to the societal, from the psychological to the political. Social work is about serving clients include providing counseling, therapy and education, as well as connecting clients to appropriate public or private resources. It attracts people who are interested in creating positive change in the lives of individuals, families and communities.

There are many humanitarian careers available in the United States. Social work is among these philanthropic career choices. Social work is the professional activity of helping people, families, groups, or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and for creating conditions favorable to that goal. (Baker, 2003) Social workers make important contributions to society. Social workers provide a broad range of services. Professionals practicing this line of work

My understanding of the social work profession is that it is a helping profession. To me social workers help others in a variety of situations. Social workers help find and connect people with resources for food, rent, insurance, medical care. Social workers also do work fighting for social justice on the Micro, Mezzo and Macro aspect, working for individuals and family to making laws to help underserved populations. Social workers also provide education to clients for lots of reasons. Some social workers became licensed and help people with counseling that may be needed for things such as PTSD or anxiety.

Social work to many serves as an industry where the public helps the poor and only the poor to succeed in life. When as a matter of fact social work not only helps the poor, but also helps anyone who needs it such as children, soldiers, people with special needs, etc. There many different agencies and programs within social work. These agencies and programs are funded by the government and/or by a non-profit organization. In order to, be a social worker a person needs to have the ambition to help others, without this characteristic the person will fail to succeed in any field.

Ever since I was a child, I loved helping others. Whether it was helping my mother take care of my little brother or helping my fellow classmates with an assignment, I was always there to lend a hand. This passion continued throughout my childhood and into early adulthood. When I began my undergraduate degree at Lewis University, I knew I wanted to help people in some type of capacity. I was guided to the path of Social Work because in this field I could combine both my passion for helping others and interest in social justice. After my first day in the Introduction to Social Work course at Lewis University, I knew that I had found my forever home. This career path would allow me to help others in a variety of different settings and capacities.

1. What are your reasons for applying to the School of Social Work? Discuss how your personal, professional, and/or community experiences and values affected your decision?

My understanding of the profession of social work is to enhance human well-being and to help meet the basic needs of all society, especially the needs of the most vulnerable, oppressed, and the needs of the people living in poverty. Social work leading duties are to promote social justice and social change on behalf of clients.