Why I Want To Be A Deaf Community

In my professional career I see myself working with the deaf population either as an interpreter or a social worker. I have a strong connection to this community and feel it is an underserved population. I plan to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker or a Senior Interpreter and I would like to work with clients and obtain a career at the county working for the Department of Mental Health. I want to make a difference in the community through my knowledge of the humans services profession, my knowledge of the deaf community and my ability to communicate in American Sign Language. My hope is to make a great impact on the community and continue to be a positive influence as well. My heart lies with the deaf community and I may even apply to
work at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside as a counselor if the opportunity arises. I also hope to write a book about the importance of deaf education and families of deaf children to learn American Sign Language. Learning the language does not mean they have to go to college to be an interpreter, but rather to take the basic signing courses offered. A lot of people confuse these two and rather than learn to communicate with their child they leave it up to someone else. This topic is what I would want to write my thesis on in either graduate school or for my Ph.D. I think it is an important topic that has not been written about and exposed enough. Academically, I have come a long way in my journey.
In the next 5-10 years I plan to continue my education and start a family. I will apply to graduate school in October either to get my MSW or become an ASL Teacher. Upon graduate school graduation I will apply for a position with the county. Also, I have thought about getting a Ph.D. I am not entirely set on this decision, but I will see where my journey brings me. I am working towards being the best example I can be for both my family and my friends. Being a first generation college student I have a lot of people watching me and seeing what moves I make next. I hope to influence other people to go back to school and I truly believe I have gained so much knowledge from taking the courses at CSUDH. I have taken various courses and some of the course that influenced me were courses in Political Science, Geography, and Intercultural Communications. These courses are all different, but they taught me not to go into the community and vote or make decisions blindly, but rather to make informed decisions. I believe these courses have taught me a lot more about the world I live in and how to maneuver through it. Also, my Human Services courses have taught me how to work with others and have successful relationships in non conventional environments. I could not have learned these things without attending college and I am so grateful for the
opportunity. I have grown a great deal professionally since I first started my journey at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
My confidence has always been a personal struggle, but through the completion of three internships I feel prepared to go out and work in the community. At first I thought doing internships would be boring, but I quickly realized I was able to gain a lot of knowledge through these internships. In the human services field it seems like information is common sense, but when your in the field and interacting with members of the community what we’ve learned in school comes into play. We learn how to approach our clients in a different perspective. Rather than showing up and just expecting tasks to be completed we learned in classes that not everyone is the same and this may seem common knowledge when you work with clients you truly understand what it means. I have learned a lot about working with clients with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, and those struggling to get a job and housing. Sometimes clients require more time and motivation than others. I realized how important it is that we do not give up on our clients and that we work to find the smallest bit of hope in them and pull it out. Everyone has gone through different struggles and being open minded and willing to see situations in a different perspective is one of the best things I’ve learned in the
program. In my personal life I have worked my way through each semester and each course with determination. I have grown tremendously from each course offered. After completing my internships I am more confident than I was in the past. I have matured over time and feel I am on my way to doing great things personally and professionally. I learned that even when being around my own family I have to stop judging and start listening. I used to be so quick to blame a family member for issues occurring, but I never took the time out to understand their situation, struggles, and weaknesses. Working with family members can be trickier than working with clients because we have to see our family members in personal situations. I have grown to be more open minded to the struggles that are occurring to people closest to me and although at times for my personal health I have removed myself from situations, I still try to avoid making judgements against them and to have more empathy and compassion. I have mixed feelings about my future, I look forward to what it has in store for me and I am nervous and excited all at once. I assume these are common feelings. I want to prove to my family, friends, and professors that I will make a difference in the community. Most of all I want to prove to myself that I am worthy of success and I do have the ability to make a difference in my own life and other peoples lives as well.