Social Work Personal Statement Example 16

One of the wisest people I have ever met once told me that if you choose a job you have great passion for, you will never work a day in your life. This is a philosophy that I have carried with me throughout my life and sought to find for myself. Financial difficulty left my family in a situation where they had to return to my fathers hometown in the United States. Deciding that I was not ready to be so far from my family I began the process of emigrating to America during my final year of college. This huge transition meant that my education went on the back burner while my family established a new life for ourselves. I have accomplished a number of things during my time living in America but with this exceptional opportunity came disappointment that my goal of completing my degree was never completed. During my time abroad I have taken classes at a local community college in English Language, Education and Psychology. Although these classes were not directly linked to my chosen course it was through these that I began to nurture the idea of entering a career in Social work. One instance was when my Education teacher gave an assignment to visit a school in a neighboring borough, in an inner city neighborhood. Nothing could have prepared me for the level of need that would become obvious in these feeble classrooms. The teachers unenthusiastic approach went unnoticed by the class of around forty, who were busying themselves throwing textbooks and spitting chewing gum. Around a third of the class were Spanish speaking students, of whom at least six spoke little or no English. Yet there was no teaching assistant or translator to help these children keep up with workload. The school did not have that kind of money, they were, I was informed offered an optional reading class once a week after school. After this I made the decision to help those who needed it when the system that they depended on failed them, though I continued to volunteer at school with similar demographics to the one that I had visited. I also worked part time as a waitress at a local restaurant, this experience taught me patience and equipped me with good organisational skills. It also developed my people skills and allowed me to meet new people and create warm bonds with those that visited regularly. On a personal level I have grown through my experiences in the last three years. From meeting new people, overcoming financial adversity and even learning to drive I have embraced each task and fulfilled every new challenge I have set myself. I feel that this demonstrates a strong will and perseverance that will help me take on the academic work that this course requires. I recently made the decision that returning to England would be detrimental in getting the stability I needed to enjoy a positive university experience. Every aspect of a career in social work is something that either fascinates or inspires me and believe I possess the qualities necessary to thrive in this career. My experiences within my community have given me perspective not only on vulnerable members of our society, but on being able to relate to them without any judgement. I studied Sociology at Hyde Clarendon college and found that I gravitated towards modules covering households, poverty and the welfare state and how individual factors within these topics impacted the development of the child.
Most of all I would like the opportunity to attend this course because I am looking forward to approaching a new chapter in my life. While I have no regrets about the invaluable pragmatic skills I have gained through my time living abroad I am excited to finally get the opportunity to get started with building a bright future for myself within the social work field.