Clinical Social Work Admission Essays
March 17, 2012
CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK 2
Part I (Autobiographical Essay): What were the significant factors that influenced your choice of social work? What skills and experiences do you have that will contribute to your success as a graduate student and social work professional? How is the GCSW a good place for you to build on those skills? 2 pages, double spaced, 12 point font
The one real mistake I believe we can make in life is to not learn from missteps
and challenges that come our way. In fact, it is in these missteps and challenges where I
have learned the most and become a better person. I believe that my life experiences
and skills demonstrate why the field of Clinical Social Work is best suited for me as a an
education and career.
I was born and raised in the Houston area with my family. My parents have been
together for 29 years and I have a twin sister and an older brother. Growing up, I felt that
we were a comfortable family with all the things necessary to be happy. I was unaware
that my father was involved with drugs and later that my brother would be as well. This
led to personal and legal difficulties for both of them and our family. I had to learn
quickly to adapt and saw that people just were not “bad” because they had
encountered or had problems in their lives. This allowed me to grow and learn in ways
other children may have never imagined, and I believe that because of my family, it has
contributed a great deal of my personal strength and acceptance of others.
I have also acquired many useful skills and experiences as a young adult and an
undergraduate student. One such experience was working with a local middle school and
high school for a