Hi all,
I'm in the process of applying for grad school (social work) and would really like some feedback on this draft. The program I applied to asked for an essay that introduces who I am, tells how my interest in social work developed and what strengths I believe I bring to the program. It has to be around 2-3 pages! Thank you!
It was a warm and breezy day, signaling the end of the summer break. I was in the midst of preparing myself for the start of my junior year when I received a call from the Family Service League to schedule an interview for a social work internship. I was both nervous and excited as I realized this would be my opportunity to experience firsthand what it would be like working in the field of social work. After a successful interview, I attended the orientation a week later for the C.A.I.R. program I would be working for. The acronym C.A.I.R. stood for Community Advocacy and Information Referral. At that orientation, I learned that I would be responsible for meeting with clients who came to the agency seeking immediate help in a wide array of problems. I would be working with people who faced eviction, utility shutoffs, and other sorts of emergencies. My responsibility would be to assess their needs and make sure to link and refer them to the appropriate programs. I would not be just handing them a phone number and sending them on their way, I would need to advocate for those individuals who were unable to speak for themselves, whether it be as a result of a language barrier or simply because they needed the support of a professional who could guide them through the process.
Soon after that orientation, my fall semester began and I quickly adapted to a routine of attending classes five days a week and going immediately after to the Family Service League twice a week. It was not easy, some days I wondered how I managed to schedule my time around studying for five classes with interning at the Family Service League. Each day I went to the agency, I immediately had something to do, whether it was a call back to a client or learning about the new computer system. One of the first and most valuable lessons I learned as an intern at the Family Service League was learning how to speak and interact with clients. Prior to my first time meeting with a client, I had been allowed to observe my supervisor interact with clients and take notes on what to ask and say. I had learned in many classes about the symptoms a person diagnosed with depression experienced. However, when the first day came that I had to meet and assist a client who was clinically depressed with her rental arrears, I found myself feeling nervous and shaky. In retrospect, feeling uneasy during that first interaction showed me that the direct contact with people is what makes social work a challenging and rewarding field. Following that day, I quickly realized that only through continuous contact with clients and with the guidance from the social workers at the agency, I would soon develop my own method and style for interacting with clients.
My time working at the Family Service League was my first experience working in social service. During my time there, one of my supervisors, Ana, guided me through the process of learning to interact with clients, which was perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the job. She was always willing to offer assistance to anyone who asked and seemed to always have the solution to any problem. Ana, who works as the bilingual community advocate at the Family Service League, was passionate about advocating for the Latino community. She introduced me to a number of agencies that worked for the needs of the Latino population or ran programs geared specifically to Latinos. Some of these agencies included the Hispanic Counseling Center and the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. Ana's passion and dedication for working in the service of the Latino population in our town is what inspired me to pursue a career in social work. I realized that social work would give me the opportunity to dedicate myself to working for whatever social issue I became passionate about.
During my time working at the Family Service League, one of the most successful programs available at the agency was Save a Smile. The Save a Smile program was made up of volunteer dentists and dental specialists who provided free dental care to adults with no dental insurance who needed emergency dental care. I worked with interested clients in assessing them for eligibility and then to schedule their appointments with the dentist if they qualified. Many of the clients in the program only spoke Spanish, which made it difficult for them to communicate to the dentists their symptoms and concerns. I grew up among a large extended family where many of my family members never learned English. I learned to become their interpreter and translator whenever they needed help communicating at places such as the grocery store or doctor's office. I found that calling dentists and speaking on behalf of my Spanish speaking clients came very easily to me. Each and every time a client came or called back to thank me for helping them communicate their needs to the dentist, I felt more and more dedicated to my job at hand. At the Family Service League, I learned that the field of social work is challenging but the rewards and the sense of pride when seeing the people you help succeed on their own is what keeps the field alive and growing.
After completing my internship, I decided to volunteer my time on another project I learned about at my university. The Latino Health Initiative of Suffolk County was seeking volunteer research assistants to help with administering a survey in the town of Brentwood. The survey was designed to assess the availability of health care to the residents of Brentwood. When I signed up to be a research assistant, I imagined I would simply be gaining research experience by administering surveys to participants and entering the data into the computers at Stony Brook. However, the dedicated members of the Latino Health Initiative had other plans for me. I volunteered at the second annual Brentwood health fair which drew an incredibly large crowd. The Latino Health Initiative and other sponsors were offering free flu shots, medical information, music, and dance performances at the fair. The energy and excitement I felt that day from all who attended showed me how united the Brentwood community was. More importantly, I saw how great the need for access to health care was for many Brentwood town residents. During my year of conducting door to door surveys, I spoke to numerous families, mostly Spanish speaking families, who admitted to me that they had no insurance. Many of these families prolonged going to the doctor unless it was an emergency or it involved their children's health. I found myself returning home from surveying feeling that I had reached out to Brentwood residents by taking the time to listen to their concerns. Additionally, I had shown community members in need that there were organizations like the Latino Health Initiative working and advocating for their needs. Working with the Latino Health Initiative helped me gain insight into the challenges individuals and families lived through due to the lack of health insurance.
After graduating from college with a bachelor's degree in psychology, I pursued employment in the mental health field. I began working for Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling as a full time counselor at their Brentwood Community Residence located on the grounds of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. I work with residents who suffer from mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and who have a history of substance abuse. I am responsible for providing support, education, and help to residents in various aspects of their life. As a full time counselor, I have had the responsibility of working closely with three clients. Unlike my past experiences working for other organizations, where I usually met anywhere from three to five different people in need of services weekly; I have found that having the chance to gradually learn more and more about my three clients each day and observe their progress makes my job all the more rewarding.
When I began working as a counselor at the Brentwood Community Residence, I quickly learned that my main responsibility would be to create with each client a restorative service treatment plan. This service plan is designed to assist and educate clients on various aspects of their life ranging from medication management to substance abuse support to self-advocacy. At first, this task seemed daunting since I was concerned on whether the residents would accept me as their counselor. My concerns turned out to be unnecessary. Most of the clients I work with have been within the care of the mental health system for years. They are grateful for the hard work and patience of the therapists, counselors, and workers who have helped them throughout the years. I am proud to be a part of this group of workers who dedicate their days and talent to empowering these individuals who struggle with their mental illness and substance dependence.
The time I spent working at the Family Service League, working with the Latino Health Initiative and now working for Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services has strengthened my desire to obtain my MSW degree. I credit the Family Service League and the hard-working and passionate employees there as the ones who truly gave me a glimpse into the field of social service. It was there that I learned how diverse the field is. The Latino Health Initiative gave me the opportunity to learn about the health care crisis in my community and to get to know the people who are truly struggling. The survey we conducted provided us with valuable data which could be used for research in the field of social service, public health and other fields. Working for Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services has exposed me to the mental health field where I have learned to counsel and educate residents under the care of the agency to achieve their goal of living independently. Despite all the help and support that I am able to provide the agency's residents, I am limited with what I am able to do. I am in frequent communication with the therapists for my clients, who are almost always licensed clinical social workers, by updating them on our mutual client's needs. I wish to obtain an MSW in order to have the qualifications and ability to do more for the mental health population such as run therapy groups, advocate for their needs or be qualified to refer and counsel patients to other services. My current goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker, but I do not wish to limit myself to therapy as I know that graduate study in social work provides me with education and exposure to the role of social work in public schools, hospitals, and even government.
That warm, breezy day I decided to pursue an internship with the Family Service League was the start of my journey into the social service profession. From my first day at that agency, I saw firsthand the role of a social worker. Social workers empower and advocate for the vulnerable populations in our society. Every single worker I met at the Family Service League encouraged me to speak up and use everything I had learned in school and in my daily life to help my clients. My time there was when I realized the advantage that being bilingual provided me. I credit the Family Service League for giving me a glimpse into the many fields social workers can work in and most importantly the drive to find my niche within the field of social service. I truly believe the ultimate goal of graduate study in social work is not solely to obtain an advanced degree, but to unite people who share the desire to create, explore, and advocate for those groups of people who struggle on a daily basis within our society. I am ready to dedicate myself to continuing my education and experience in the field.
