Social Work Personal Statement

Throughout the world, there is an estimate of about 65.3 million refugees that have either been forced out of their homes or chose to willingly escape the violence or corruption they faced in their homeland. Of those millions of people, only a small percentage are given the status of refugee as many nations have strict requirements and only allow a specific amount each year. This leads to an increase in the amount of illegal immigration as many are desperate to risk their lives to for a better one then they had back home. Even as refugees are given asylum, many often face difficulties such as discrimination due to the racial stereotypes that exist as a result of negative depictions in the news and media. Although nations have generally become more open to receiving and providing aid for a significant amount of refugees seeking asylum, people’s ideology of race and the misrepresentation of the media towards immigrants prevent an even larger amount of refugees from being accepted into society.

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.

Intro: Refugees face a far worse life than most people can imagine, and there is no easy way out for them. They first must get out of whatever dangerous place they are in, then travel long distances with almost no resources, and even if they do make it safely to the USA there is a chance they will be sent back or even put in jail. The refugee experience is defined by risks and belonging.

universal refugee experience is shared with many refugees, including having to learn a new language, becoming sick and malnourished, and having to make new friends in their new home.

Refugees and immigrants have a specific set of needs that differ from other families. Oftentimes they suffer from a lack of resources and do not fully understand the culture that they live in. I would like to work with this population because I have experience in helping refugee/immigrant families succeed in the United States, while helping them to retain their own culture and identity. Though I have some experience working with this population, I would like to learn more about the depth of their needs and the ways that social work as a profession is seeking to fulfill that need.

Refugee Services of Texas offers a variety of social support services for refugees and other displaced persons who are being resettled in Austin in order to maximize their ability to integrate into the community. Program service plans are catered to each individual’s needs, personal strengths, and support network. In addition to this, the

During the 2015 Canadian Federal election, I volunteered for Anita Vandenbeld, the Liberal candidate in my riding. I spent after-school hours over three months making phone calls and going out door-to-door canvassing, which gave me the opportunity to talk with my community members, many of whom were first-generation immigrants and refugees. I listened to their stories about their struggles in their former countries, hearing personal testimonies of global challenges today. Many were Vietnamese and Somalian refugees, having fled conflict in their home countries. Their tales of success in the face of hardship inspired me deepen my understanding of our world issues and, as co-head of Lisgar Collegiate Institute’s Model United Nations Club, incorporate the discussion on immigration and refugees in my club. If it were not for the education many

The dilemma regarding the American refugee policy and America’s stance on refugees at this point in time is a challenging topic for many to discuss. Not only is this controversy affecting Americans, it is also hurting refugees in desperate need of our help. America needs to start handling the emerging refugee crisis by first working to remove the stereotype associated with refugees, then the U.S. needs to assess which refugee countries should (if any) actually be banned, and after accomplishing those-- America needs to work to help the countries in need by letting refugees in, and working to help the refugees live happily in their country of origin.

For the podcast, I interviewed Lina Abdulnoor, with the intention of exploring the intricacies of refugeehood by analyzing Lina’s refugee experience. Lina lived in Iraq with her family until they began receiving death threats due to their religious beliefs. Convinced that they needed to flee the country to survive, they left Iraq as refugees. After leaving Iraq, they settled in Jordan, where they waited two years until the U.N. to approve their request to move to the U.S. in 2012. Lina and her family initially settled in Virginia, where she experienced culture shock as she adapted to American culture and the English language. However, Lina did not feel accepted in Virginia; her experiences in the state led her to think that Americans treated her according to negative stereotypes of Iraqis. After living in Virginia for several months, Lina and her family chose to resettle in San Diego, California, which harbored a larger Iraqi population than Virginia did. Supported by San Diego’s Iraqi community and various refugee organizations, Lina flourished, and she currently studies at UCSD while holding a stable job.

Based on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is necessary for human beings to meet their basic needs and social care, (e.g., food, shelter, and protection from harm) and opportunities to meet his or her psychosocial needs (e.g., belongings, acceptance, and self-actualization). This includes security of the body and health care, these rights are the fundamental human right that should not be denied. Now that I have a solid understanding of some of the challenges and oppression the vulnerable populations, such as the people with refugee status encounter in Canada; I will be able to provide an efficient service to them during my placement as a developing Social Service Worker, and after graduation when working as a paid employee in the field. I will be able to work with them according to their social location, and as a worker who is privilege in terms of having free access to health

In today’s society where most of us are sheltered physically and emotionally, have we ever stopped to think about the unfortunate ones who have been forced to live their lives differently? We are often carried away with basking in our riches that we forget to take a moment to think for those who aren’t as lucky as us. What else can we call those who have nowhere to go and nothing to do— no place to call home, no job to call an occupation, no purpose to speak of? With more people being forced out of their homelands to seek greener grass on the other side, refugee rates are on a constant rise.

This book, and the lessons Mrs. Song taught through it, were some of the most eye-opening experiences of my academic career. Mrs. Song was immensely fond of multi-faceted ways of teaching. She took us on a field trip to the refugee offices in Nashville, TN where I learned that most people do not understand how difficult it is to integrate into American culture, and also how important it is to adjust wholly. These experiences have fueled my desire to learn more about refugees in my community and how to serve them. Following this Nashville visit, Mrs. Song introduced us to her friend who was a refugee from Liberia. She currently owns a local sewing shop, and she invited us to her shop to discuss her life and journey as a refugee. My eyes were opened to the hardship, courage, and perseverance required of immigrants. Learning of their hardships encouraged me to persevere through difficult situations.

Merging Social Work and Social Advocacy in Response to the Plight of Unaccompanied Child Refugees in the United States

From 1991 over one-sixth of Bhutan’s people flee their country and take a shelter in Nepal, India and other countries around the world. The large populations of Bhutanese refugee are called lhotshamps, an ethnic group, who were forced to leave their country in the early 1990s. Among 105,000 Bhutanese I’m one of them. I was born in a hut made of bamboo, food rations, and dirt roads. We are hostile, unsettled, unsure of who we are and what future held for us. I often think can we ever able to get rid out of the tag called “refugee” would my life ever changed, while ongoing tussled between mind and outside world finally in 2008 United States open a door for us to settled in the United States a “promised land” with full of struggle in 2009 we came here at Grand Forks. As I was growing up in the refugee camp I have seen a countless number of violence, crimes, injuries, and rebuff that words can’t be described. Most importantly death of people from a disease that can be a cure if, we have enough facilities such as, advanced medical training and hospitals. Although during my early childhood I have seen so much of maltreatment and practices, I always thought of having a career in health-related profession because I wanted to invest and improve the lives of individuals so that their children don't have to orphans, forced to work when their parent died, nor they have to beg for food. When I was 10 years old, my friend and I were trying to climb up the mango tree and I step in

During the summer of 2013, I attended an international youth leadership camp where I met 50 Iraqi teenagers. They taught me about their culture and what their life is like in Iraq. The most important thing that I learned from them was that though we hailed from different countries, we had a lot in common. Now, whenever I hear news updates on the Middle East, it is not just another conflict in a foreign land but a conflict that directly affects my friends. In a way, I feel obligated to learn about what the Middle East is going through. Since I started my semester abroad, I have gained an increased interest in immigration and I would like to study the Middle Eastern refugee crisis more in-depth. Researching alongside a professor at another college would allow me to gain insight on the crisis that I wouldn’t achieve on my own. Though this will be the first time I will have researched with a professor, I look forward to offering my skills and discovering what there is to learn about the Middle Eastern refugee