As a Latina of humble beginnings raised in a single-parent household with six older brothers, I am familiar to the challenges of being a minority, having limited resources and how such elements can raise the risk of crime. This awareness coupled with my compassionate spirit and friendly nature allows me to connect with people naturally. I am passionate about helping people improve their life situations hence I am enthusiastic about applying to the MSW program at NEIU because I believe it is the next step in preparing me to become a strong advocate for disadvantaged people and underserved populations. I gained knowledge of human behavior as a social work student at NEIU and I was able to apply this knowledge to real life situations during my internship. Correspondingly, I believe I represented the program with a high level of aptitude and readiness.
My hope is to be a social worker where there is a medical component to the job. My aspiration is to either be a care coordinator for patients or a social worker for veteran’s at the Veteran’s Affairs (VA), ensuring that they have the resources they need. The last twelve years, I have spent a great deal of time assisting my mother with many of her needs. Before her recent passing, I worked closely with my mother, making sure her medical needs were met. I was her biggest advocate and I know how important that was for her. I want to continue to do this for people who feel vulnerable due to a disability, illness, or aging. My hope is to represent vulnerable members of society that speak Spanish.
During my internship at Healthcare Alternative Systems (HAS), it was a different segment of the kind of social work I would like to eventually do, however it was the ideal position for an entry-level social work student. My work at HAS was with adolescents who were dealing with substance abuse or dependence. HAS is a nonprofit agency that offers services that treat mental health in addition to offering programs like domestic violence prevention and DUI services, so I was fortunate to be in a place that is all-encompassing. I worked with the youth population, managing the intake department. It was here where I was able to shadow different youth caseworkers interact with clients.
I learned through my training the importance of meeting the client where the client is and they are unique, so being considerate in order to help them reach their full potential is key. I had the opportunity not only to schedule, but also to complete assessments independently. I did case-management documentation and performed random drug screenings. Eventually, I was able to co-facilitate in individual counseling and group sessions with CPS students at Foreman High School. It was not always easy. I saw clients go through setbacks and others triumph.
