Abraham Maslow defined self-actualization as achieving full individual potential by meeting the hierarchy of needs. Through my learning and interactions with people, it is evident that a significant number fails to understand the meaning and importance of self-actualization. There are numerous challenges in society, as many people fail to meet even the basic physiological needs of food, shelter, and clothing. Even after meeting these needs, a significant portion of the population fails to meet its safety needs, and the fulfilment of needs becomes more difficult as we go up the hierarchy. The quest for self-actualization has highlighted these challenges and motivated me to take action and help. After much consideration, I have determined that the best way for this change is through pursuing social work.
The realization of the importance of human relationships and interactions has proven to be one of my greatest motivations. At 19 years, I had a lot of challenges that resulted in mental and emotional anguish. It was at this age that I dropped out of university, having been stuck pursuing a major that I did not enjoy and scored dismally. Human relationships and interactions offered me comfort and an opportunity to heal and get back on my feet. This overwhelming love and support provided the cushion I needed and resulted in dramatic shifts in both my life and world view. I reached a state where my sole concern was neither about my mental nor emotional safety but about reaching out and investing in others.
The first step I took was serving as a group leader for a few female high school freshmen in my local church. Interacting with and mentoring the girls gave me a sense of purpose and fulfilment that I had not felt before. Throughout the four years that I held the position, I noted that teenagers (especially girls) go through a specific set of challenges. I familiarized myself with these challenges and built up competence to increase effectiveness. Some of the common difficulties revolved around navigating abusive relationships (romantic or otherwise), navigating parents’ divorce, and handling grief. I handled each case individually and ensured that they all felt the connection and love. However, deep down, I knew it was not enough, and they needed a qualified professional to guide them. It was at this point that I began looking into careers that would give me enough competence to provide professional aid to people. I then stumbled upon social work and realized that it would be the perfect fit.
A year later, at age 20, I had the privilege of joining Youth with a Mission. The organization provided me with an opportunity to go on a two-and-a-half-year mission to Fiji and Indonesia. While in Fiji, my team and I focused on providing relief (water filters, food, clothing, and other supplies) to villages that had been affected by the typhoons. The interactions with people and seeing the impact of my actions gave me great joy and reaffirmed my commitment to improving people’s lives. While on the mission to Indonesia, my team and I worked with local orphanages, prisons, and sex workers (in the red-light districts). The time spent interacting with the people resulted in the assimilation of a lot of knowledge on individual experiences and suffering. These missions reaffirmed my commitment to helping people manage their lives better.
I am currently finishing my bachelor’s degree in psychology as I intern at the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena. I believe that my familiarity with psychology and a total of experiences with people will immensely benefit my role as a social worker. Through my education, work, and personal experiences, I have learned empathy, active listening, persuasion, coordination, organization, and self-awareness. These qualities have served me well on my journey, and I believe that as a social worker, I will become more attuned to them and thereby adequately fulfill the needs of my clients. Professional qualities of teamwork, leadership, communication, and problem-solving have also developed. An example of these skills is seen through my current job at Pasadena, where I work with children between six and twelve years. Through the club, I have learned how to interact with children from different cultural and financial backgrounds and provide them with a comfortable and enriching environment for growth. I believe that the various personal and professional qualities developed will serve me well as a social worker. Entering into the MSW program is the best way of learning how to provide social, mental, emotional, and welfare services to the people.
My ultimate career goal is to work with children and families and aid in the rehabilitation of children who have experienced neglect and abuse. Domestic violence is also a vital issue due to its effects on the development of children. I believe that as a society, we should do more to protect our children and provide them with an optimal environment to grow. The abuse suffered by children affects their development (both physical and psychological) and increases their likelihood of becoming abusers. The best way to prevent this is by introducing early interventions.
I believe that the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work will fully equip me with the tools to carry out my professional goals as a social worker. USC’s social work program is lauded in its thorough approach offering multiple opportunities and resources to prepare graduates for fieldwork adequately. The institution’s location in Los Angeles provides it with access to diverse communities and interactions with them will help in enhancing cultural competencies. Since USC has a robust relationship with DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services), I believe that it is a perfect fit for my career goals. I also hope to earn my PPSC (Pupil Personnel Services Credentials) by conducting fieldwork in neighboring schools. These are among the key reasons why USC is the best place to pursue my MSW program.
The financial cost of pursuing a graduate degree is not something to think lightly of but requires earnest consideration. As my family’s home is an acceptable distance from USC, I plan to commute to school rather than finding a place nearby. It will help in reducing living expenses and make the pursuit of MSW more feasible. I also plan on researching and applying for scholarships as well as taking a student’s loan to finance this pursuit. Working part-time will also help in easing my financial burden while also building a strong work ethic. My family and friends understand the amount of commitment that is required of me from the program, including 1,000 hours of field placement over two years. Thankfully, I have become accustomed to balancing, going to school full-time, and working twenty to thirty hours a week. I am confident that I will manage any personal, professional, and academic obligations through the MSW program.
My professional interests revolve around the field of children and family social work. The major challenge that my professional interests aim to promote and ensure the healthy development of children. It is evident that there are numerous challenges in the field of social work, and it would be foolish to try and fix everything. My passion is to ensure safe and enriching environments for the growth and development of children. The children are, at times, prisoners of their circumstances and lack the tools and the ability to seek out a better life. It is, therefore, upon me, other social workers, and community members who empathize with their situations to provide them with the best environment. I believe that my passion and determination will promote social change and make considerable improvements in the lives of many children, regardless of their cultural and economic backgrounds.
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my poor academic performance in my freshman year of college at San Diego State University. While I am not proud of it, I am thankful, as I have come to appreciate my privilege of an education. I believe that my growth has been recorded as my grades afterward have been well above average, and I am now set to graduate summa cum laude from Biola University. Thank you for your time and consideration.(If you need help with a similar personal statement, you can visit discussion board homework help and we shall write for you a perfect personal statement paper.)
