Hey Guys!

I haven't been on in a long time. Things have been soooo busy! And if life isn't enough to keep me busy, I want to go back to school. I've been paralyzed for years, thinking that I wasn't able to do it and that I wouldn't even get in cause my focus during my undergrad was on... well... parties, ugh. But I'm FINALLY ready to try.

I'd like to go back to get my Masters in Social Work. And I need someone (or a lot of someones I guess :)) to proof and give feedback on my statement. I am not confident enough to ask the people I know! I also want unbiased feedback. I'm goin to paste it below. I know it's long, you don't have to read it all. But if you do, I truly appeciate it! Be kind, I'm really passionate about this stuff

When I was seven years old my grandfather asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered, emphatically that I wanted to be a super hero. At around 23 years old, I was asked by a friend why I worked so much. And with the same resolute tone as when I was seven, I responded saying, “Because I want to save the world”. The nickname my family has given me is Dreamer, inspired by John Lennon’s song “Imagine”. The lyrics have resonated with me since I was a child. While these examples are quirky, they’re poignant too. They capture the essence of who I am today.
Immediately upon graduating from my undergraduate program I began working with the District Attorneys Office in Queens, New York as a Victim Advocate. Truthfully, I had no idea what position I’d be filling. My time there proved to be invaluable. It was during this time that I decided how best I could contribute to helping others. I worked directly with the victims of all felony crimes. I worked with the families of victims of some of the most heinous of offenses. Shortly into my work it became evident to me that this was a population that was widely underserved; whether it was due to socio-economic factors, subtle disparities within the legal system or simply a lack of knowledge regarding their rights and entitlements. It was gratifying to be able to assist our clients in locating their most fundamental needs but these were just the figurative layers of an onion. As our program slowly grew I was able to accompany victims as they attended court proceedings. It was important to me to ensure that they were able to seamlessly and successfully navigate the criminal justice system, that they were able to understand the jargon used by the attorneys and that an identified support system was available to them at a vulnerable time in their lives. But I always wanted to do more. They needed more.
It is my ultimate goal to develop a program that serves as a comprehensive community driven approach in assisting victims recovery. In implementing such a service, my hope is to be able to helps victims live their lives to their fullest potential. I’d like to encompass all that I’ve done in my previous role and include a clinical component. I think using a more holistic approach could be more beneficial in supporting a victim’s resiliency. Additionally, I would venture to say that collaborating with as many community supports as possible would not only lend itself to victim’s recovery, but also to preventing re-victimization in many cases.
I moved to Connecticut in 2010 at which time I began working for my current employer as a clinical liaison. This position has been an incredible opportunity to further build a foundation in the mental health field. I’ve been able to optimize my time working with the company by not only working amongst licensed clinicians, but also in working closely with Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families, Department of Development Services and The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Through our work with these state agencies I’ve been able to seek out trainings, seminars and workshops on various topics. These opportunities in particular have been useful in teaching me how Licensed Clinical Social Workers can contribute to informing procedures and bolstering protective factors for children and their families. The work I do now parallels greatly with my previous position; and has reinforced my conviction for this field.
In closing, I ask that you look further than my undergraduate achievements and consider my dedication to this field. I assure you my academic performance is not an indication of how I will perform going forward. It took me years to truly understand the impact I could have on the others, and longer still to be confident enough to pursue my masters.
My path to personal growth has been long and winding. But I believe that I was always meant to arrive at Social Work. Thank you for your consideration.