Cosmetology and Sociology Do Not

¶ … cosmetology and sociology do not seem apparent. One concerns itself with appearances and the other with what lies beneath. However, I have drawn many meaningful connections between my work in cosmetology and my passion for social justice. I always understood that the face we present to the world can have a tremendous impact on others. When we carry ourselves with grace, poise, and confidence we can inspire other people to reach their goals. On the other hand, when we fail to take care of our appearance we send a message that we do not care about life's beauty, that we have given up on the world. Cosmetology has been a metaphor for my life because I have endeavored to use external beauty as a sign of inner peace. Now I intend to deepen my ability to heal others by working in the challenging field of social work. Helping uncover the root causes of personal problems by addressing community unrest, and uplifting communities by inspiring individuals is the focus of my life. At Spelman I will work with like-minded students to promote social justice.

My reasons for applying to Spelman are many. First, volunteer work in my local community opened my eyes to the pressing need for an aware and well-educated core of service personnel. Second, my personal family background resembles that of the clients I intend to help. Third, Spelman will offer me the supportive environment I need: one that allows me to express my unique worldview while encouraging me to think deeply and critically about the problems our country faces. Ultimately I would like to move back to the Baltimore area to give back to the community that nurtured me through my adolescence.

The Baltimore City Department of Human Services recently offered me an internship, which I am currently fulfilling. I shadow a caseworker, which has been the most important impetus for my desire to work in the field of social work. Observing the difficulties of day-to-day job activities including the communications problems that arise has illuminated what my future life will look like. The breakthroughs that I see do not occur as often as I would hope, but I have noticed that I share drive and determination with my mentor. We both believe that working hard is the key to success, and that helping troubled teens requires an open heart and an open mind. Moreover, the caseworker I shadow is one who works specifically with juveniles living in detention and foster care facilities. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve the Baltimore community in this fashion and I intend to pursue a career in exactly that field: juvenile care.