Why I Chose Social Work

I do not suppose I decided to become a social worker, but it was a part of me all along. I have always known that I desired to support others; however, I did not realize until recently that social work is my destiny. There are numerous aspects throughout my life that drew me to the field of social work, and I cannot wait to begin my journey. One of my favorite quotes is “No one is sent by accident to anyone” from the book A Course in Miracles. In my later high school career, I met a boy named Jesse who had been in the foster care system since a very early age. I saw firsthand his struggles and successes within the system and the gargantuan power of support. I received my associate’s degree in Sociology at Columbia State Community College not
Encountering Jesse and his friends made a profound impact on my life; Now I understand that I want to work one-on-one with those affected by issues within the foster care system and do my part to create a more encouraging, beneficial, and positive social environment for these children and teens.
I want to receive my master’s degree in social work and collaborate with children and teens involved in foster care who often feel like they have no voice. Many children in foster care do not have a foundation of support, and this is especially an issue for teens who age out of the system at eighteen. My goal is to protect and defend these vulnerable children and teens during bumps, burdens, and everything in between throughout their experiences with the foster care system.
Currently, only twenty-five states, including Tennessee, extend support for teens beyond the age of eighteen under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2005. I hope to implement systems to assist these clients in and outside of the foster system- several of which whom struggle to find access to proper housing, education, healthcare, and employment. I want to alter this social condition and make these necessities easier to reach for children and teens who may find access hard to
A couple of skills that I possess include effective communication and active listening. These skills are important to build relationships with clients. Clients need to trust that I will maintain confidentiality and will arrange and administer proper support systems. I have demonstrated these skills in my work with Hospital Corporation of America. Effective communication and active listening ensured I built a strong, trusting relationship with people of all ages so I could provide the best service possible. I have gained a variety of knowledge about the field of social work, especially through my volunteer work at Second Harvest. I volunteered at Second Harvest around the time I decided to become a social worker and learned about the persisting problem of hunger and how we can diminish the issue within the community. I worked in the food package and storage section where I worked with people to determine which families receive what foods. Second Harvest is a service I can direct clients to if any struggle to pay for