Social Work became an interest of mine in 1997. A young, pregnant, confused, scared and lost teen I were given a helping hand by a very kind individual, which happened to be a Social Worker at a prenatal clinic.
I overwhelmed by her kindness and ability to convince me I had a chance in life brought me along way. When I first meet her, I felt like she could not be trusted. I had a very bad perception of social workers. Growing up all I knew a social work as a person that took away children; as a child, I felt like they ruined families for no apparent reasons. When I meet the social worker from the clinic, she opened up a completely different perception of what I thought about Social Workers. Whether she would ever know, she changed my life tremendously just by believing in me and sharing an encouraging word.
That moment, I knew I wanted to become a Social Worker. I want the chance to help someone or maybe change or save a life. This is why I became interested in social work as a major. No matter what jobs I may have in life, helping people is my passion. The social worker caring and belief in me carried me a long way. The idea of just seeing how believing in someone and helping him or her believe in themselves can determine what paths they take in life, she got my attention right away. Now later in my life I realize that that Social Worker and I share similar core values. For instance, Dignity and Worth of the Person, is what is believe in. I believe in treating each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. (2008NASW)
Upon entering the field of Social Work I will try to help as many people as possible, putting their needs before mine treating them with the utmost respect making them feel like they belong. I have the ability to listen to an individual to help solve their problems and give them the advice they need to get them through their situation. Becoming a Social Worker I have to overcome many obstacles, one being working with terminal ill individuals. It is something about working with people and them dying on me; I cannot seem to adjust. My biggest fear is building a close relationship with them and having to accept them passing away. My plans as a student are to work at as many hospice and nursing homes as possible and learn how to cope with an individual passing away.
After graduating from Jackson State University, my original plans to work in the medical field of Social Work and work in hospitals, clinics, and different hospices and nursing homes. After seeing and hearing the different ways social workers can help other my plans changed. I want to do so much more. I have so much to share and so much help to hand out. However, when it is all said and done my real passion is working worth children. I want to be the one that might be able to change or save a life.
