Reasons why I want to become a Social Worker

     There is a saying I learned from my older sister, “he who does not live to serve does not deserve to live.” I cannot imagine a world without people who truly live by this principle. It is these people who move and shape society at its core and center. I grew up surrounded by people who sacrificed time, effort, money, energy and even personal assets to devote their lives to serve other people, consequently I started to live like them. I started devoting much of my time and talents to our youth group at my local church, and it is then when I became aware of my deepest desires, it is then when I learned where the greatest needs are. I don’t want to romanticize this idea of becoming a Social Worker because in the real world many barriers and stressors often cloud our vision and makes us question our purpose. But I also know the impact of social work in an individual, I know how meaningful this career can be for me and for those we serve.

     Aside of the work itself, there is another aspect of Social Work; Education. I know that many people take education for granted and maybe at some point in my life I did too, but I always knew that education was a big part of my life and my foundation as an individual, I am very confident that there are several people out there like me who strive to become a better human being to serve others. Education is just a step forward to a better today. These might be just words on black white, but the very essence of my desire to further my education is this: Those who read lead, and those write set things right. As an aspiring Social Worker, I seek to encourage, inspire and influence other individuals to excel and go beyond expectations to live a respectable life and learn to serve others.

     I strongly believe in social justice, service and enhancing the quality of lifestyle of an individual, which is the mission of the social work profession. I also believe in supporting and promoting social change through community involvement and action. As a person who has worked with both, youth and adults, I am confident in carrying out the duties of a Social Worker in either setting. In working with youth, I learned that I possess leadership skills and creative ways of communicating well with children, teens and young adults. On the other hand, working with adults as a Patient Advocate has been character building and I’ve learned to deal with different personalities in a respectful manner.

     My background as a Latino minority has definitely influenced my respect towards individuals as human beings. However, I understand that it is not enough to come from a different culture or ethnicity to understand the role of diversity in social work. It is important to have exposure and knowledge about a vast variety of cultures and subcultures. Rather than taking race, class, sexual orientation, gender or age as separate from an individual, it should be seen as part of the whole picture. Especially in social work, we are more than likely to work with a diverse population and encounter unique circumstances and people as well. I believe that social work should not be biased, but seek to challenge human errors and validity. Acquiring knowledge about the human behavior in all aspects and content on one’s life is vital for a social worker, and the focus should be on the core social work values but never forget the importance of diversity.

     The ethical principles based on the core values of social work are definitely something I aspire. Becoming a social worker has been something I’ve been hoping to become for a long time. In the majority of my jobs I have been surrounded by people who devote much of their time to serve others and strive to build better human relationships, whether as social workers, religious leaders, clinical psychologists or teachers. And like those individuals, I also want to commit and devote to the service and to uphold the values and ethical standards of Social Work.