College admission essay preparation and strategies

Personal Statement

Social work has been and will always remain the most viable career choice for me because of my genuine concern for both social justice and human dignity. Further, I also possess a deep desire to impact positively on the lives of others. Social work provides me with a viable platform to accomplish this. In my case, I regard playing an active role in the restoration of the social functioning capacity of groups or individual persons a personal calling. That is what gives me the greatest feeling of self-fulfillment. It can be noted that some individuals are called to serve their countries as doctors, police officers, teachers etc. In their own special way, they impact positively on the lives of others be it in the enhancement of security, knowledge or even the health and well being of others. I believe my calling is to serve the community and by extension the entire world as a social worker. In so doing, I will be able to play an active role in alleviating the suffering of others. This is where my real passion lies. A bachelor's in social work (BSW) will enhance my understanding of human behavior and development while building my knowledge on how to create societal or environmental conditions ideal for the effective functioning of groups or individuals. It is through this that I will be able to effectively discharge my duties as a professional social worker.

It is important to note that in the past, I have engaged in quite a number of activities most of which highlight my interest in social work. My resolve to work in the social work field was strengthened during my stint as an office assistant in a psychiatric hospital in the period between June 2004 and May 2011. Occasionally, I would be called upon to offer my assistance either to individuals suffering from various mental disorders or their families. It is during this time that I realized nothing could offer me greater satisfaction than making a difference in other people's lives. As highlighted elsewhere in this text, I have always possessed a strong desire to help especially when the suffering of others is brought about by circumstances far beyond their control. However, it was while working at the psychiatric hospital that I realized I could indeed play a bigger and more prominent role in social work by pursuing a bachelor's in social work (BSW). Although I had to resign from my position when my husband (who happens to be in the military) was moved, I attribute much of my interest in social work to my having worked at this psychiatric institution.

Although I owe my resolve to pursue a career in social work to my stint at the psychiatric hospital, I have always been keen to help others. From quite an early age, my mother taught me the importance of ensuring that the needs of others always came before my wants. With that, I learnt to forego my own wants so as to attend to the needs of others. For instance, instead of buying an extra pair of shoes, I sometimes find myself donating to an organization actively involved in feeding those dying from hunger. Further, I have always ensured that I lend a helping hand not only when I am called upon to but in those instances where my help is clearly needed. For instance, whenever I find a blind or disabled person encountering challenges when trying to accomplish a specific task i.e. crossing the road, I find it within myself to offer assistance even when nobody else seems ready to do so. In offering a helping hand in such a scenario, I am usually driven by the desire to ease the suffering of others. I strongly believe that if everyone actively catered for the well being of others, the world would become a better place to live in. I have also in the past volunteered to serve food at a homeless shelter. In this particular occasion, I derived great satisfaction from offering myself to the service of others. Further, in seeking to contribute towards the well-being of others, I once offered myself as a volunteer at a summer camp for a boys and girls club. The whole exercise in this case lasted two weeks. Such undertakings leave me convinced that in the final analysis, our commitment to the well-being as well as comfort of others is what really matters. I also do remember a particular scenario where I had to rush an asthmatic individual to the hospital after he suffered an asthmatic attack. I was having lunch at a restaurant in town when this particular individual started developing breathing problems. As he was gasping for air, some of those at the restaurant chose to observe from a distance. I had to act. At the hospital, I was informed that further delay without any sort of medical intervention could have been fatal. To this day, I still feel proud for the role I played in helping save another individual's life.