Because I was once homeless myself, I am committed to helping others achieve personal growth and take an interest in their own well-being. I find that helping others is rewarding in itself and as long as I can make a positive difference in someone’s life, I will know that I have contributed to that person’s efforts to change his or her life. As a result of my personal experience, I understand the constant despair and frustration experienced by those who find it challenging to cope with everyday life and problems. I am also convinced that increasing one’s own sense of empowerment can make the difference between a future of despondency and one filled with hope.

I grew up in a single parent family household with my mother, with whom I frequently had arguments. When I found out I was going to have a baby, my relationship with my mother deteriorated further. There was too much family conflict so I left. Eventually, I found myself homeless. Needless to say, being homeless was a constant struggle. Months later, I found a shelter on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, which was the worst part of the experience for me. Here I was- homeless, about to have a baby, with no money and no place to live. I felt alone and felt that nobody cared about my situation. At the shelter, I met a social worker, and she helped ease my concerns. I told her of my situation with my mother and she was there for me when I needed someone to talk to. She encouraged me to resolve my conflict with my mother and go back home. When I moved back home, I made a sincere effort to heal my relationship with my mother. Six months later, I found a job as a counselor, working with adolescents who have experienced similar situations to mine. I was able to save enough money to move into my first apartment. From this experience, I learned that I had the ability to persevere through my most challenging times. I developed empathy for people struggling with everyday problems, and, most of all, I learned the importance of having support from my family. Overall, social workers make a remarkable difference in overcoming life’s challenges.

I am applying to the Master’s in Social Work Program because it is my goal to help others to embrace their inner potential in an effort to make a positive life transition. I began my preparation to achieve my personal goal while I worked at Harbor View Adolescent Center, a level-14 group home facility, as a youth counselor. My primary work responsibility was to serve as a positive role model for adolescents 12 to 18. The adolescents had backgrounds, such as being homeless and victims of physical and sexual abuse. Others had problems with drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and the criminal justice system. At times, the position was extremely stressful but I discovered that I had the ability to connect with the adolescents and develop strong emotional ties with them. I focused on several areas of treatment, including their social skills, coping skills, and independent living skills. My main ambition was to help them to build their self-esteem and improve their sense of security. As a youth counselor, I have gained valuable experience in listening to adolescents and helping them make positive decisions in order to improve the quality of the their lives. Overall, my career goal is to help vulnerable and oppressed individuals because I want to ensure that they have access to effective services, quality resources, and much needed guidance.

Most importantly, I want to become a professional social worker because I want to do everything that is within my power to enhance human well-being and help meet the needs of all people in my community, especially its most vulnerable members. This is my professional calling to do all that I can to make these people whole, empowering them so that one day many could even become be happy productive individuals.