Personal Statement
What are the reasons and experiences that led you to choose social work as a profession?
I have chosen social work as a profession because social work affords me the opportunity to help others in times of challenge. Social work is by no means easy -- by definition the job means that you are working with people in need -- but it is rewarding. My own personal circumstances have convinced me that this is something I want to do. When I was 11, my mother became disabled. I saw what professionals were able to do with respect to helping people, and the difference that it made in her life and in mine. This experience that I had growing up is something that has always stuck with me, and for me having the opportunity to help others is something that drives me. In my present role, I am a physical education teacher and I help children to play sports and get physical activity that they otherwise would not. I especially enjoy working with the Exceptional Education children, because that is a capacity in which I make the most difference.
What are your social work career interests?
I see social work as the next step for me in terms of becoming a difference-maker, even more than my current role. As a social worker, I will be able to help those most in need, and this training will give me the tools that I need in order to do so. I have known for a long time that this is what I wanted to do, and my experiences in education have only solidified this belief for me. So the path that has brought me here started when I was a child, seeing how valuable a helping hand can be, and has continued through into my adult life where I have had the enormous privilege to help people. By moving into social work, I will be able to help those most in need, and make an even bigger difference in this world.
The focus of my social work is children and families. One of the things that stands out from growing up is that when doctors or other professionals would help my mother, that assistance would have an impact on all of us. By helping my mother they helped the entire family. Social work is much the same. I emphasize wanting to help children, but I realize that this requires solutions that will work for the entire family. I will need to be able to assist on a holistic basis, helping entire families deal with difficult situations. In that way, I want to make life better for the entire family with whom I am working.
I have this focus on children and families for a couple of reasons. First, this is the environment in which I grew up, so I understand it the best. I think a lot of people get into social work because of their own personal experiences, and that is the case for me as well. I also see children as being innocent, so when there is a way to help them, we should. It is important to help those who cannot help themselves, and I feel a sense of duty especially when it comes to the most vulnerable in our society, the children. By strengthening families and helping children, we can give every child the same chance to succeed in this world, something that every child deserves.
What are your personal strengths that you bring to this profession?
I feel that there are a number of personal strengths that I bring to the profession. I am passionate about the work, as I have always enjoyed helping people. When I went into teaching, it was to work with children, as that is something that I always wanted to do, and to help children and make a difference in their lives is something that motivates me each and every day. I am also empathetic, and compassionate. I feel the need to make a difference, and can see the struggles that people go through. Those struggles motivate me to do what I can for them, and this compassion for people and their struggles is something that helps me to be a better listener and it motivates me to work hard on the behalf of my clients, even when things seem too difficult.
Another strength of mine is that I am a lifelong learner. I genuinely enjoy the process of learning, something that makes me better at whatever I do because I continually build my skill set. I also see that learning...
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