bubba303
Nov 29, 2009
Undergraduate / UC PROMPT 1 - FAMILY/MARRIAGE THERAPIST - PSYCHOLOGY [10]
What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement. (Word Count: 509)
Six o'clock in the morning, I woke up to the sounds of yelling and cursing from down the hallway. I rose from my bed, tiptoed over to my door, and twisted my doorknob as slowly as possible, trying my very hardest not to make a single noise. I poke my head out and there stood my parents. I saw tears streaming down from my mom's pale, sunken cheeks and heard wounding words spewing from my dad's mouth. This wasn't just one morning's mishap; their feuds were ongoing and occurred often throughout my teenage years.
While growing up, it was difficult for me to interpret my parents' arguments and understand why they were so unhappy together, but still married. Vivid images of them breaking each other apart mentally linger in my head. Around this time, my siblings were too young to understand, my parents too busy with work, and my friends too caught up with boys. I felt alone in a world where no one understood me. As months drifted by, I constantly punished myself for being the source of the problem. I thought that because I wasn't the straight A student, music prodigy, or statewide spelling bee winner, I wasn't the daughter they wanted.
During my first year in high school my understanding for my parents' behavior gradually surfaced. I owe it all to my tennis coach for the frequent heart-to-heart conversations regarding my problems at home. Patiently, he would explain to me the difficulties of parenthood-the stress that comes with working, paying bills, and providing for a family. He enlightened me with words of wisdom, which in the end enabled me to empathize with my parents' actions on a better level. He assured me that I wasn't the reason for their arguments by hammering into my head that my parents love and care for me. Because of my coach, I acquired a better understanding for my parents' behavior and was able to recapture my self-confidence, which in the end allowed me to veer my life towards a more positive direction.
Growing up without having someone to talk to and understand me was challenging. My experience enabled me to value the importance of having someone to open up to when in need. During my last two years in high school, I volunteered at a church with underprivileged, struggling kids. Being able to provide them the support and motivation they needed to succeed and move forward with life was rewarding. Like my coach, I want to be a mentor for young individuals, one who they can reach to for a helping hand. Through my involvement in the volunteer program and experience growing up, my desire to study psychology and become a guidance counselor solidified. With a strong understanding of human behavior, I will be able to provide proper guidance to individuals, especially teenagers, during a perplexing time in their lives. Instead of peeking my head from behind a door, retreating before I even took a step, I want to be able to open doors, advancing before I can lead.
What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement. (Word Count: 509)
Six o'clock in the morning, I woke up to the sounds of yelling and cursing from down the hallway. I rose from my bed, tiptoed over to my door, and twisted my doorknob as slowly as possible, trying my very hardest not to make a single noise. I poke my head out and there stood my parents. I saw tears streaming down from my mom's pale, sunken cheeks and heard wounding words spewing from my dad's mouth. This wasn't just one morning's mishap; their feuds were ongoing and occurred often throughout my teenage years.
While growing up, it was difficult for me to interpret my parents' arguments and understand why they were so unhappy together, but still married. Vivid images of them breaking each other apart mentally linger in my head. Around this time, my siblings were too young to understand, my parents too busy with work, and my friends too caught up with boys. I felt alone in a world where no one understood me. As months drifted by, I constantly punished myself for being the source of the problem. I thought that because I wasn't the straight A student, music prodigy, or statewide spelling bee winner, I wasn't the daughter they wanted.
During my first year in high school my understanding for my parents' behavior gradually surfaced. I owe it all to my tennis coach for the frequent heart-to-heart conversations regarding my problems at home. Patiently, he would explain to me the difficulties of parenthood-the stress that comes with working, paying bills, and providing for a family. He enlightened me with words of wisdom, which in the end enabled me to empathize with my parents' actions on a better level. He assured me that I wasn't the reason for their arguments by hammering into my head that my parents love and care for me. Because of my coach, I acquired a better understanding for my parents' behavior and was able to recapture my self-confidence, which in the end allowed me to veer my life towards a more positive direction.
Growing up without having someone to talk to and understand me was challenging. My experience enabled me to value the importance of having someone to open up to when in need. During my last two years in high school, I volunteered at a church with underprivileged, struggling kids. Being able to provide them the support and motivation they needed to succeed and move forward with life was rewarding. Like my coach, I want to be a mentor for young individuals, one who they can reach to for a helping hand. Through my involvement in the volunteer program and experience growing up, my desire to study psychology and become a guidance counselor solidified. With a strong understanding of human behavior, I will be able to provide proper guidance to individuals, especially teenagers, during a perplexing time in their lives. Instead of peeking my head from behind a door, retreating before I even took a step, I want to be able to open doors, advancing before I can lead.
